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Billing code 15934: Ulcer excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical excision of a sacral pressure ulcer when the resulting defect is closed with a skin flap rather than primary suturing.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities63 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $888.46 for 15934 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 15934

Ulcer excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
13.34
Total RVUs
26.60
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$888.46

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 15934 → · 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
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 15934 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 15934 covers

Code 15934 represents operative removal of a sacral pressure ulcer followed by closure with a skin flap. The surgeon excises the ulcer and uses adjacent skin and soft tissue to cover the defect. Plastic or reconstructive surgeons and other surgeons may perform this procedure in an operating room when flap coverage is selected. The code distinguishes skin-flap closure from direct primary closure and from reconstruction using a prepared muscle flap; the related sacral code for skin-flap closure with ostectomy is 15935.

Select the code when the operative report supports the sacral site, ulcer excision, and skin-flap closure. Documentation should identify the closure performed and any bone resection so the appropriate related code can be selected. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery is not paid, and 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 15934 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

15934 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$807.51
Alaska*Unavailable$1,097.46
ArizonaUnavailable$865.37
ArkansasUnavailable$797.52
AtlantaUnavailable$912.21
AustinUnavailable$900.80
BakersfieldUnavailable$899.11
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$941.51
BeaumontUnavailable$850.18
BrazoriaUnavailable$870.56

15934 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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.

View every state and territory as a table
15934 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 15934 rate is calculated

Each of 15934’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 · 15934

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 13.34Practice expense 10.78Malpractice 2.48

26.6000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$888.46

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 15934

15934 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 15934

Ulcer excision

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.71/0.19Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 15934

Ulcer excision

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

15934 without 51 · national facility

$888.46

Ulcer excision

15934-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$444.23

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

15934 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

15934 vs 15931 vs 15935 vs 15936 vs 15922: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 15934
    Ulcer excision · 13.34 wRVU
    —
  • 15931
    Pressure ulcer excision · 9.82 wRVU
    —
  • 15935
    Pressure ulcer surgery · 15.39 wRVU
    —
  • 15936
    Pressure ulcer excision · 12.83 wRVU
    —
  • 15922
    Pressure ulcer excision · 10.12 wRVU
    —

How to choose

15931Pressure ulcer excision
Choose 15931 when the sacral ulcer defect is closed with primary suturing. Choose 15934 when the operative closure uses a skin flap.
15935Pressure ulcer surgery
Both describe sacral ulcer excision with skin-flap closure, but 15935 includes ostectomy. Use 15934 when the procedure does not include ostectomy.
15936Pressure ulcer excision
15936 describes preparation of a muscle flap for the sacral defect. 15934 describes closure with a skin flap.
15922Pressure ulcer excision
15922 applies to a coccygeal pressure ulcer with skin-flap closure; 15934 is for the sacral site.

Codes related to 15934

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

Codes related to 15934
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
15931Pressure ulcer excisionSacral pressure-ulcer excision with primary suture closure.No office rate
15933Pressure ulcer excisionSacral pressure-ulcer excision with primary closure and ostectomy.No office rate
15935Pressure ulcer surgerySacral skin-flap closure code when ostectomy is also performed.No office rate
15936Pressure ulcer excisionSacral pressure-ulcer excision involving preparation of a muscle flap.No office rate
15922Pressure ulcer excisionCoccygeal pressure-ulcer excision with skin-flap closure.No office rate
15944Pressure ulcer excisionIschial pressure-ulcer excision with skin-flap closure.No office rate

15934 billing questions

How does 15934 differ from 15931?

15934 is for sacral pressure-ulcer excision with skin-flap closure. 15931 describes the sacral procedure with primary suture closure.

When is 15935 a better choice?

Use 15935 when the sacral pressure-ulcer excision and skin-flap closure also include ostectomy. Code 15934 describes skin-flap closure without that bone resection.

Does 15934 include the skin-flap closure?

Yes. The procedure includes excision of the sacral pressure ulcer and closure with a skin flap; it is not a separate flap-only service.

Can modifier 50 be reported?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

Are assistant or co-surgeon services payable?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

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
RVUs for 15934PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,597 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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