Billing code 15620: Flap delayMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $463.60 for 15620 nationally in the office and $304.62 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $408.81–$610.38.

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

What 15620 covers

This code covers a staged operation that delays a flap’s blood supply or sections a previously created flap, with division and inset. The covered sites are the face, scalp, neck, axilla, genitalia, hands, and feet. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons commonly perform this work in an operating room as part of staged reconstruction, such as preparing local tissue for later movement or completing a flap stage.

Select the code by the flap’s anatomic site, distinguishing these locations from the trunk, arms or legs, and eyelids, nose, ears, or lips. The operative report should identify the flap and site and describe the delay or sectioning, division, and inset performed. This major surgery code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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 15620 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

15620 rates by state

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

How the 15620 rate is calculated

Each of 15620’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 15620

15620 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

15620 compared with similar codes

How to choose

15600Flap delay

15600 is for flap delay or sectioning on the trunk. Use 15620 when the flap site is the face, scalp, neck, axilla, genitalia, hand, or foot.

15610Flap delay

15610 covers flap delay or sectioning on the arms or legs; 15620 covers its specified non-limb sites, including the hands and feet.

15630Flap staging

15630 is for eyelid, nose, ear, or lip flap work. Other facial sites, as well as scalp, neck, axilla, genitalia, hands, and feet, fit 15620.

15650Pedicle flap transfer

15650 describes transfer of a skin pedicle flap. 15620 describes delaying or sectioning a flap, including division and inset, at its specified sites.

Codes related to 15620

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