Billing code 15131: Dermal autograftMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports each additional 100 square centimeters, or part of that increment, of dermal autograft placed on the trunk, arms, or legs.
Medicare pays $103.21 for 15131 nationally in the office and $75.15 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $92.54–$126.67.
Medicare rate · 15131
Dermal autograft
- Work RVUs
- 1.46
- Total RVUs
- 3.09
- Global days
- ZZZ
National rate · 2026
$103.21
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 15131 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 10 sections
What 15131 covers
This add-on code covers additional recipient-site area treated with a dermal autograft on the trunk, an arm, or a leg. A surgeon, commonly a plastic, reconstructive, or burn surgeon, may use the graft to cover a wound after burn injury, trauma, or excision. The graft is the patient’s own dermal tissue; the code distinguishes this method from split-thickness and epidermal grafting.
Report 15131 with the primary dermal autograft code 15130 when the treated area extends beyond the first 100 square centimeters. Each additional 100 square centimeters, or part of that increment, is reported as an additional unit. The operative report should identify the graft type, recipient-site location, and total area treated so the initial and additional portions can be supported. CMS classifies this as an add-on code: it is billed only with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period.
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 15131 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$92.54 to $126.67
109 of 109 payment localities
15131 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$92.54
$126.67
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $126.67 | 1 |
| AL | $93.72 | 1 |
| AR | $92.54 | 1 |
| AZ | $100.54 | 1 |
| CA | $104.40–$124.77 | 29 |
| CO | $104.82 | 1 |
| CT | $109.53 | 1 |
| DC | $114.97 | 1 |
| DE | $102.03 | 1 |
| FL | $105.56–$118.36 | 3 |
| GA | $99.93–$105.83 | 2 |
| GU | $105.82 | 1 |
| HI | $105.82 | 1 |
| IA | $94.08 | 1 |
| ID | $94.97 | 1 |
| IL | $104.12–$115.03 | 4 |
| IN | $95.40 | 1 |
| KS | $94.51 | 1 |
| KY | $97.39 | 1 |
| LA | $97.58–$101.69 | 2 |
| MA | $104.65–$113.13 | 2 |
| MD | $103.53–$114.97 | 3 |
| ME | $96.27–$99.59 | 2 |
| MI | $100.35–$107.56 | 2 |
| MN | $98.42 | 1 |
| MO | $96.67–$101.03 | 3 |
| MS | $94.58 | 1 |
| MT | $103.19 | 1 |
| NC | $97.01 | 1 |
| ND | $98.05 | 1 |
| NE | $94.28 | 1 |
| NH | $104.00 | 1 |
| NJ | $110.21–$114.19 | 2 |
| NM | $101.16 | 1 |
| NV | $101.80 | 1 |
| NY | $98.34–$122.42 | 5 |
| OH | $99.30 | 1 |
| OK | $96.38 | 1 |
| OR | $100.45–$106.85 | 2 |
| PA | $98.98–$107.64 | 2 |
| PR | $103.58 | 1 |
| RI | $104.71 | 1 |
| SC | $98.43 | 1 |
| SD | $97.44 | 1 |
| TN | $95.02 | 1 |
| TX | $98.47–$106.54 | 8 |
| UT | $99.58 | 1 |
| VA | $99.88–$114.97 | 2 |
| VI | $103.58 | 1 |
| VT | $98.46 | 1 |
| WA | $104.19–$114.45 | 2 |
| WI | $95.28 | 1 |
| WV | $100.96 | 1 |
| WY | $100.95 | 1 |
How the 15131 rate is calculated
Each of 15131’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 · 15131
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.46
1.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.37
1.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.0900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$103.21
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15131
The CMS indicators that decide how 15131 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15131
Dermal autograft
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
15131 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15130Dermal autograft
- 15130 reports the initial dermal-autograft area on the trunk, arms, or legs; 15131 reports each additional 100 square centimeters or part.
- 15136Dermal autograft
- Use 15136 for additional dermal-autograft area on the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Code 15131 is for the trunk, arms, or legs.
- 15101Skin graft
- Both are additional-area codes for the trunk, arms, or legs, but 15101 is for a split-thickness autograft and 15131 is for a dermal autograft.
15131 billing questions
Which primary code is reported with 15131?
Report 15131 with 15130 for dermal autografting of the trunk, arms, or legs. It represents area beyond the first 100 square centimeters.
How is the additional area counted?
Each additional 100 square centimeters, or any part of that increment, supports one unit. Document the total grafted area and the portion represented by the primary code.
Can 15131 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a primary procedure, such as 15130.
How does 15131 differ from 15136?
Both report additional dermal-autograft area, but 15131 is for the trunk, arms, or legs. Code 15136 is for the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
What documentation supports the units?
The operative report should specify the dermal autograft, recipient-site anatomy, and measured area treated. Those details support the primary and additional-area reporting.
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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