Billing code 15650: Pedicle flap transferMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $589.53 for 15650 nationally in the office and $382.77 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $518.31–$772.20.

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

What 15650 covers

This service covers moving a skin-bearing flap from a donor site to a recipient site while it remains connected to its blood supply through a pedicle. A classic example is transferring abdominal tissue to an arm or hand for coverage after substantial tissue loss. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons typically perform the transfer in an operating room. The code describes the transfer stage, not merely raising the flap or a later procedure to divide its connection.

Report the code when the operative note supports transfer of a pedicled flap between donor and recipient sites; document both sites and the transfer performed. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and additional procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 15650 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

15650 rates by state

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

How the 15650 rate is calculated

Each of 15650’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 15650

15650 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

15650 compared with similar codes

How to choose

15600Flap delay

15600 describes a flap-delay procedure for the trunk. Code 15650 reports transfer of a pedicled flap from a donor site to a recipient site.

15570Skin flap

15570 covers formation of a direct or tubed pedicle flap for the trunk. Use 15650 for the transfer stage when the flap is moved to the recipient site.

15740Island flap

15740 describes an island pedicle flap, generally a local flap approach. Code 15650 is used for transfer of a pedicled flap from a donor site such as the abdomen to an arm.

Codes related to 15650

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