CPT code 15829: Facelift, SMAS flap technique2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports a facelift using a repositioned SMAS layer for facial laxity when Medicare's restricted coverage conditions are met and documentation supports the procedure.
Medicare pays $0.00 for 15829 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 15829 covers
An SMAS-flap facelift mobilizes and repositions the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, the fibromuscular layer beneath facial skin, to address facial soft-tissue laxity. Plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons typically perform it in an operating-room setting. The operative report should identify the SMAS flap work and the facial areas treated. Medicare payment is restricted to specified circumstances, so documentation must support a covered indication rather than merely record a cosmetic goal.
Report 15829 for a rhytidectomy that uses the SMAS-flap technique; distinguish it from other facial rhytidectomy codes using the documented technique and anatomy. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For same-session multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard reduction. Modifier 50 applies when the service is bilateral and is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of 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 15829 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 15829 rate is calculated
Each of 15829’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 · 15829
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 15829
The CMS indicators that decide how 15829 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15829
Facelift, SMAS flap technique
| 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
15829 without 50 · national office
$0.00
Facelift, SMAS flap technique
15829-50 · 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).
15829 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15828FaceliftCheek, chin, and neck
- This code describes rhytidectomy involving the cheek, chin, and neck. Use 15829 when the documented procedure uses the SMAS-flap technique.
- 15825Neck liftPlatysma tightening
- This code addresses neck rhytidectomy with platysmal tightening; 15829 identifies the SMAS-flap facelift technique.
- 15824Forehead liftForehead rhytidectomy
- This code is for forehead rhytidectomy, rather than an SMAS-flap facelift.
15829 billing questions
How does 15829 differ from 15828?
15829 identifies the SMAS-flap facelift technique. Code 15828 describes rhytidectomy involving the cheek, chin, and neck; use the code supported by the documented procedure.
What documentation supports 15829?
The operative report should describe the SMAS flap work, the facial areas treated, and the clinical circumstances supporting the procedure. Medicare payment is restricted to specified circumstances.
Does the 0-day global period include same-day care?
Yes. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period.
When is modifier 50 used?
Use modifier 50 when the service is performed bilaterally. CMS pays a bilateral service at 150%.
Can an assistant-at-surgery service be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction work?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction.
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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