Billing code 15241: Skin graftMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports each additional 20 cm² or portion of a full-thickness skin graft to designated sites, beyond the area covered by the primary graft code.
Medicare pays $179.70 for 15241 nationally in the office and $89.51 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $159.55–$230.28.
Medicare rate · 15241
Skin graft
- Work RVUs
- 1.81
- Total RVUs
- 5.38
- Global days
- ZZZ
National rate · 2026
$179.70
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 15241 →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 15241 covers
Code 15241 captures additional recipient-site area when a surgeon places a free full-thickness skin graft at sites assigned to the 15240 family: face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, genitalia, hands, or feet. The patient’s own skin is commonly used to cover a defect after excision or injury or to repair a contracture. Plastic, reconstructive, hand, and other surgeons perform these repairs in operating rooms or procedure settings; direct closure of the donor site is part of the graft service.
Report 15241 only with 15240, after the first 20 cm² of grafted area; each unit represents another 20 cm² or any fraction. Base units on the documented total graft area, not the number of graft pieces, and identify the recipient site and measured area. CMS classifies 15241 as an add-on: it is not billed alone, and its payment falls within the primary procedure’s global period. Documentation should identify the graft as full thickness and support the treated area and primary graft procedure.
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 15241 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
$159.55 to $230.28
109 of 109 payment localities
15241 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.
$159.55
$212.70
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 | $212.70 | 1 |
| AL | $161.80 | 1 |
| AR | $159.55 | 1 |
| AZ | $174.91 | 1 |
| CA | $186.75–$230.28 | 29 |
| CO | $185.31 | 1 |
| CT | $191.38 | 1 |
| DC | $203.56 | 1 |
| DE | $177.71 | 1 |
| FL | $179.75–$199.00 | 3 |
| GA | $169.72–$183.58 | 2 |
| GU | $190.63 | 1 |
| HI | $190.63 | 1 |
| IA | $164.54 | 1 |
| ID | $165.83 | 1 |
| IL | $175.62–$193.21 | 4 |
| IN | $166.72 | 1 |
| KS | $164.38 | 1 |
| KY | $166.71 | 1 |
| LA | $166.69–$174.55 | 2 |
| MA | $184.50–$202.36 | 2 |
| MD | $180.82–$203.56 | 3 |
| ME | $167.27–$175.14 | 2 |
| MI | $171.42–$182.51 | 2 |
| MN | $176.05 | 1 |
| MO | $164.33–$174.46 | 3 |
| MS | $161.94 | 1 |
| MT | $179.68 | 1 |
| NC | $168.86 | 1 |
| ND | $173.94 | 1 |
| NE | $165.24 | 1 |
| NH | $182.98 | 1 |
| NJ | $193.13–$201.69 | 2 |
| NM | $172.55 | 1 |
| NV | $178.19 | 1 |
| NY | $171.34–$212.57 | 5 |
| OH | $170.24 | 1 |
| OK | $165.81 | 1 |
| OR | $176.38–$190.35 | 2 |
| PA | $170.18–$187.15 | 2 |
| PR | $180.76 | 1 |
| RI | $183.41 | 1 |
| SC | $169.92 | 1 |
| SD | $173.27 | 1 |
| TN | $165.24 | 1 |
| TX | $169.15–$185.07 | 8 |
| UT | $172.14 | 1 |
| VA | $174.99–$203.56 | 2 |
| VI | $180.76 | 1 |
| VT | $173.82 | 1 |
| WA | $183.97–$205.82 | 2 |
| WI | $168.39 | 1 |
| WV | $169.52 | 1 |
| WY | $177.18 | 1 |
How the 15241 rate is calculated
Each of 15241’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 · 15241
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.81
1.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.28
3.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.3800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$179.70
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15241
The CMS indicators that decide how 15241 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15241
Skin graft
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
15241 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15240Skin graft
- 15240 reports the initial graft area, up to 20 cm², for its designated sites. Add 15241 for each further 20 cm² or portion.
- 15221Skin graft
- 15221 is the additional-area code in the full-thickness graft family for the scalp, arms, and legs; 15241 belongs to the 15240 site group.
- 15261Skin graft
- 15261 reports additional full-thickness graft area for the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, rather than the recipient-site group paired with 15240.
15241 billing questions
Can 15241 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on reported with 15240 when grafted area exceeds the first 20 cm².
How are units counted?
Report one unit for each additional 20 cm² or portion beyond the first 20 cm². Base the count on grafted area, not the number of graft pieces.
What documentation supports 15241?
Document the full-thickness graft, qualifying recipient site, total area treated, and the primary graft procedure. The measured area should support the additional units.
How does 15241 differ from 15221?
Both report additional full-thickness graft area, but 15221 belongs to the family for scalp, arms, and legs. Use the family that matches the recipient site.
How does 15241 differ from 15261?
15261 reports additional full-thickness graft area for the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips. 15241 is paired with 15240 for its designated recipient-site group.
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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