Billing code 15277: Skin substitute graftMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $361.06 for 15277 nationally in the office and $197.40 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $320.36–$455.92.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 15277 covers

This code covers application of a skin substitute graft to a wound involving at least 100 square centimeters at designated sites, including the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, genitalia, hands, and feet. For infants and children, the area threshold is expressed as the first 1% of body surface area. Plastic surgeons, other surgeons, podiatrists, and wound-care clinicians may perform the service for appropriate burns, traumatic wounds, or chronic wound defects in office, outpatient, or facility settings.

Report this as the initial-area service; code 15278 represents each additional area increment when warranted. Document the wound location and treated surface area, or the infant’s or child’s body-surface-area calculation, along with the graft application. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in its 0-day global period. When multiple procedures occur in one 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. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 15277 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

15277 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 15277 rate is calculated

Each of 15277’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 15277

The CMS indicators that decide how 15277 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

15277 compared with similar codes

How to choose

15275Skin substitute

Both cover the same designated special sites, but 15275 is the initial-area code for the smaller-area tier. Choose 15277 when the treated area meets the large-area threshold.

15278Skin substitute graft

15277 reports the initial area; 15278 reports additional area increments beyond it. Do not use 15278 as the initial-area code.

15273Skin substitute graft

15273 is the large-area application code for trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15277 for the designated special sites, such as the face, hands, or feet.

Codes related to 15277

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates