Billing code 15793: Chemical peelMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $470.62 for 15793 nationally in the office and $317.98 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $417.27–$622.21.

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

What 15793 covers

A clinician applies a chemical agent to create a controlled peel reaching the dermal level on skin outside the face. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons commonly perform this resurfacing procedure in an office or outpatient facility. The treated area may be on the trunk or an extremity; the site and intended depth distinguish this service from facial peels and nonfacial epidermal peels.

Select this code when the documented treatment is a dermal-depth chemical peel at a nonfacial site. The record should identify the treated location and support the depth and nature of the chemical peel performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same 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. 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 15793 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

15793 rates by state

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

How the 15793 rate is calculated

Each of 15793’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 15793

15793 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

15793 compared with similar codes

How to choose

15792Chem peel nonfacial epidrm

Use 15793 for a dermal-depth peel on nonfacial skin; 15792 describes the nonfacial epidermal-depth level.

15789Chemical peel facial dermal

Both describe dermal-depth chemical peeling, but 15789 is for the face and 15793 is for a nonfacial site.

15788Chemical peel facial epidrm

15788 is an epidermal-depth facial peel; 15793 is a dermal-depth peel outside the face.

15782Dermabrasion

15782 describes nonfacial dermabrasion. Choose 15793 when the resurfacing method is a dermal-depth chemical peel.

Codes related to 15793

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