Billing code 15771: Fat graftingMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports liposuction-harvested autologous fat injected into the trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, or legs when the total injected volume is 50 cc or less.
Medicare pays $654.79 for 15771 in the office in Delaware (Delaware). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 15771 covers
A surgeon harvests a patient’s own fat using liposuction, prepares it for transfer, and injects it to restore volume or improve contour at the trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, or legs. It may be used in reconstructive or contour-correction procedures, including treatment of a localized soft-tissue defect. The recipient sites must be among the body areas covered by this code; fat grafting to the face, hands, or feet follows a different code family.
Select this code when the total volume injected at eligible sites is 50 cc or less, measuring the transferred fat rather than the amount harvested. Document the recipient site or sites, harvest method, and injected volume; report 15772 for each additional 50 cc or part thereof. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, 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.
15771 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $654.79 | $468.01 |
How the 15771 rate is calculated
Each of 15771’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 · 15771
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.56Practice expense 12.05Malpractice 1.23
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15771
15771 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15771
Fat grafting
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 15771
Fat grafting
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15771 without 51 · national office
$662.67
Fat grafting
15771-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$331.34
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%).
15771 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15771 vs 15772 vs 15773 vs 15769: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15772Fat grafting
- Use 15771 for the initial 50 cc or less injected at eligible body sites; 15772 reports each additional 50 cc or part thereof.
- 15773Fat grafting
- Use 15773 for the separate recipient-site group that includes areas such as the face, neck, hands, and feet. Its initial volume threshold differs from 15771.
- 15769Soft-tissue graft
- 15769 describes autologous soft-tissue grafting harvested by direct excision. Choose 15771 when the fat is harvested using liposuction.
15771 billing questions
How is 15771 distinguished from 15773?
15771 covers fat injected into the trunk, breasts, scalp, arms, or legs, with a 50 cc initial-volume threshold. Code 15773 covers specified areas such as the face, neck, hands, and feet, with a different volume threshold.
Is the volume based on fat harvested or fat injected?
Use the volume injected at the recipient site or sites, not the amount removed during liposuction. Document the injected volume to support the initial code and any additional-volume reporting.
When is 15772 reported with 15771?
Report 15772 for each additional 50 cc or part thereof injected beyond the initial 50 cc covered by 15771.
Can modifier 50 be used when grafting both sides?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code; the descriptor and anatomy do not support a bilateral adjustment.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
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