CPT code 15825: Neck lift, platysma tightening2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports surgical neck contouring with platysma tightening, with Medicare payment limited to specific circumstances.
Medicare pays $0.00 for 15825 in the office in California (Bakersfield, CA). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 15825 covers
This operation reshapes the neck by lifting tissues and tightening the platysma, often to address neck laxity or visible bands. Plastic and facial plastic surgeons perform it in operating rooms or ambulatory surgical settings. It is distinct from eyelid procedures and forehead rhytidectomy; code 15828 covers broader cheek, chin, and neck work.
Medicare lists restricted coverage, so payment is limited to specific circumstances. The record should identify the neck procedure performed and document the facts supporting coverage. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 receives the CMS bilateral payment treatment of 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 15825 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Chico, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| El Centro, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Fresno, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Hanford, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Madera, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Marin County, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Merced, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Modesto, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Napa, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oxnard, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Redding, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Rest of California | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Riverside, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Sacramento, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Salinas, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| San Benito County, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| San Diego, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| San Francisco, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stockton, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Vallejo, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Visalia, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Yuba City, CA | $0.00 | $0.00 |
How the 15825 rate is calculated
Each of 15825’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.
How the rate is built · 15825
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15825
The CMS indicators that decide how 15825 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15825
Neck lift, platysma tightening
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15825 without 50 · national office
$0.00
Neck lift, platysma tightening
15825-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$0.00
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
15825 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15828FaceliftCheek, chin, and neck
- This code identifies neck surgery with platysma tightening. Code 15828 describes broader cheek, chin, and neck rhytidectomy.
- 15829FaceliftSMAS flap technique
- Code 15829 identifies rhytidectomy involving an SMAS flap, while this code describes neck work with platysma tightening. Select based on the operative work documented.
- 15838Fat pad excisionUnder-chin adipose tissue
- Code 15838 describes excision of submental fat; it does not describe a neck lift with platysma tightening.
15825 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from a broader face-and-neck lift?
Use this code for the neck procedure with platysma tightening. Code 15828 describes broader cheek, chin, and neck rhytidectomy.
Does Medicare cover every neck lift reported with this code?
No. CMS lists restricted coverage, so payment is limited to specific circumstances. Document the service and the clinical facts supporting coverage.
Is same-day postoperative care separately reported?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
What documentation supports assistant-at-surgery payment?
The record must document medical necessity for the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.
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
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