CPT code 15837: Skin excision, forearm or hand2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Michigan
Removal of redundant skin and underlying tissue from the forearm or hand, commonly during reconstructive contouring when excess tissue causes functional or hygiene problems.
Medicare pays $895.23–$956.97 for 15837 in the office in Michigan, from Rest of Michigan to Detroit, MI. 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 15837 covers
This operation removes redundant skin and underlying fatty tissue from the forearm or hand, then closes the surgical wound. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons may perform it after substantial weight loss when hanging tissue limits movement, complicates hygiene, or causes persistent skin irritation. The operative site must be the forearm or hand; removal of a discrete lesion or treatment of a wound is a different service.
Report the code when the operative work addresses excess skin and subcutaneous tissue at one of these sites. The record should identify the exact site, the clinical problem, and the tissue removed. This major surgery code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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 15837 pays more and less in Michigan
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | $956.97 | $687.84 |
| Rest of Michigan | $895.23 | $640.59 |
How the 15837 rate is calculated
Each of 15837’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 · 15837
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.31
9.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense17.02
17.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.73
1.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
28.0600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$937.23
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15837
15837 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15837
Skin excision, forearm or hand
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.71/0.19 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 15837
Skin excision, forearm or hand
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15837 without 51 · national office
$937.23
Skin excision, forearm or hand
15837-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$468.62
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
15837 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15836Skin excisionUpper arm
- Use 15837 for the forearm or hand; use 15836 when the excess skin and subcutaneous tissue being removed are in the upper arm.
- 15839Excess skin excisionOther anatomical area
- Use 15837 for the forearm or hand. Code 15839 is for an excess-skin site not otherwise specified by a site-specific code.
- 15830PanniculectomyInfraumbilical skin and tissue
- Code 15830 concerns excess skin removal from the abdomen, not the forearm or hand.
15837 billing questions
How is this code different from 15836?
This code is for excess skin and underlying tissue of the forearm or hand. Code 15836 addresses the upper arm.
Can it be used for removal of a skin lesion?
No. It describes removal of redundant skin and subcutaneous tissue for reconstructive contouring, not excision of a discrete lesion.
Is routine closure separately reported?
The code represents the forearm or hand excess-tissue operation, including the surgical closure that completes it. Do not treat routine closure as a separate service.
Should modifier 50 be used when both sides are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Document the treated site or sites in the operative report.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Record whether the site is the forearm or hand, the symptoms or functional problem from redundant tissue, and the tissue removed during surgery.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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