$1,015.81
15155 reports the initial cultured-graft area at the specified sites; 15156 reports each additional 100 sq cm and is used with 15155.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
15156 Cultured skin graft Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Reports each additional 100 square centimeters of cultured autologous skin graft applied to wounds on specified special sites, with code 15155 as the primary procedure. Compare 15156 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 15156 in Alaska?
Alaska has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$206.39
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$170.46
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Skin grafting
About 15156: Cultured skin graft, additional special-site area
Reports each additional 100 square centimeters of cultured autologous skin graft applied to wounds on specified special sites, with code 15155 as the primary procedure.
This add-on covers application of additional cultured autologous skin graft to wounds on the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Burn and reconstructive surgeons commonly use cultured skin grafting to cover extensive burns or other wounds after excision, when the patient’s own skin cells have been expanded for grafting. The code represents additional wound area beyond the initial area reported with the primary service.
Report 15156 with 15155 for each additional 100 sq cm of qualifying wound area. For infants and children when area is measured by body surface area, code 15157 represents each additional 1%; do not use 15156 for that increment. Documentation should identify the graft as cultured autologous tissue, the treated anatomic sites, and the total wound surface area supporting the additional units. CMS classifies 15156 as an add-on code and pays it within the primary procedure’s global period.
CMS billing rules for 15156
- Global period
- Add-on code: billed only together with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.68 · 53%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.66 · 33%
- Malpractice RVU0.71 · 14%
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.
15156 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
$230.35
Use 15157 for each additional 1% body-surface-area increment in infants and children. Use 15156 for each additional 100 sq cm.
$1,046.78
15120 describes a split-thickness autograft, not a cultured autologous skin graft. Choose based on the graft procedure performed.
$1,088.64
15135 describes a dermal autograft at these sites; 15156 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin graft.
Compare 15156 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
$206.39
Facility
$170.46
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 15156 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,502
- Code
- 15156
- Physician work
- 2.68
- Practice expense
- 1.66
- Malpractice
- 0.71
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.68 | × 1.500 | 4.0200 |
| Practice expense | 1.66 | × 1.065 | 1.7679 |
| Malpractice | 0.71 | × 0.551 | 0.3912 |
| Total RVUs | 6.1791 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alaska*$206.39
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.68 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 1.66 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 0.71 | 0.551 |
(2.68 × 1.5 + 1.66 × 1.065 + 0.71 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $206.39
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.68 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 0.65 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 0.71 | 0.551 |
(2.68 × 1.5 + 0.65 × 1.065 + 0.71 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $170.46
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
15156 billing questions
When should 15156 be reported instead of 15155?
Use 15155 for the initial area and 15156 for each additional 100 sq cm at the specified sites. The add-on requires 15155 as the primary procedure.
When is 15157 used instead of 15156?
For infants and children whose wound area is reported in body-surface-area increments, 15157 represents each additional 1%. Code 15156 represents each additional 100 sq cm.
Can 15156 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code reported with 15155, and CMS pays it within the primary procedure’s global period.
What area documentation supports additional units?
Document the qualifying treated sites and the total wound surface area covered with cultured autologous graft. The additional units must be supported by area beyond the initial amount reported with 15155.
How does 15156 differ from split-thickness graft code 15120?
15156 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin graft. Code 15120 describes a split-thickness autograft for the specified sites, rather than cultured graft application.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
1,49915151,,Tis cltr skn agrft t/a/l add,A,,1.95,1.30,,0.47,,0.50,3.75,2.92,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50015152,,Tis cltr skn agrft t/a/l ea,A,,2.44,1.54,,0.59,,0.64,4.62,3.67,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50115155,,Tis cltr agrft f/s/n/h/f/g 1,A,,9.89,13.68,,7.95,,1.83,25.40,19.67,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50215156,,Tis clt agrft f/s/n/h/f/g ad,A,,2.68,1.66,,0.65,,0.71,5.05,4.04,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50315157,,Tis clt agrft f/s/n/h/f/g ea,A,,2.93,1.94,,0.71,,0.79,5.66,4.43,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50415200,,Fth/gft fr trnk 20 sq cm/<,A,,8.92,15.80,,7.70,,1.50,26.22,18.12,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,50515201,,Fth/gft fr trnk each addl,A,,1.29,2.92,,0.42,,0.23,4.44,1.94,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609