CPT code 15273: Skin substitute graft, large trunk or limb wound area2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $321.98 for 15273 nationally in the office and $171.68 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $285.52–$407.73.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 15273 covers

A clinician applies a skin substitute graft to a wound on the trunk, an arm, or a leg. This service is commonly performed by surgeons and wound-care clinicians for wounds such as chronic diabetic or venous ulcers and other wounds requiring graft coverage. The graft is applied to the wound; this code is not for harvesting a patient's own skin. The corresponding codes distinguish wound location and total treated surface area.

Choose this base code when the total wound area meets the large-area threshold for the trunk, arms, or legs. For infants and children, the area basis uses body surface area rather than the adult square-centimeter measure. Document wound location, measurements, the total area treated, and graft application. Code 15274 reports each additional area increment with this service. Medicare includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care in the 0-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 15273 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

15273 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 15273 rate is calculated

Each of 15273’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 15273

The CMS indicators that decide how 15273 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

15273 compared with similar codes

How to choose

15271Skin substitute graftFirst 25 cm², trunk/limbs

Both codes address trunk, arm, or leg wounds. Choose 15271 for the smaller wound-area category and 15273 when the total area meets the large-area threshold.

15274Skin substituteEach additional 100 sq cm

15273 covers the base area for a large wound; 15274 reports each additional area increment and is used with the base service.

15275Skin substituteFace and other specified sites

Use 15273 for wounds on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15275 when the treated site is the face, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.

Codes related to 15273

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates