Billing code 15845: Facial repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reconstructive surgery for facial paralysis involving skin and muscle repair, reported when the operative technique addresses the affected facial tissues.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15845 in Florida.
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 15845 covers
This reconstructive operation addresses facial tissue changes associated with facial paralysis through skin and muscle repair. It is typically performed by a plastic or reconstructive surgeon, or a facial plastic surgeon, in a facility setting. The clinical situation is persistent facial weakness or asymmetry for which the surgeon's operative plan includes repair of the affected facial tissues, rather than a cosmetic lift alone.
Report the code when the operative report supports the facial-paralysis indication and documents the skin and muscle work performed. The 90-day global period includes 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 multiple procedure reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
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 15845 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $1,042.92 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $1,116.90 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $992.88 |
How the 15845 rate is calculated
Each of 15845’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 · 15845
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 13.96Practice expense 12.42Malpractice 2.59
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15845
15845 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15845
Facial repair
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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) | 0.10/0.71/0.19 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 15845
Facial repair
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
15845 without 51 · national facility
$967.62
Facial repair
15845-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$483.81
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%).
15845 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15845 vs 15840 vs 15841 vs 15842: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15840Facial reanimation
- Use 15845 when the documented repair involves skin and muscle. Code 15840 represents a different facial-paralysis graft technique.
- 15841Facial reanimation
- Both concern facial-paralysis reconstruction, but 15841 identifies a muscle-graft approach; select according to the operative method documented.
- 15842Nerve graft
- Code 15842 describes microsurgical nerve graft work for facial paralysis. This code is for skin and muscle repair.
15845 billing questions
How is this different from codes 15840–15842?
Choose based on the documented operative technique. This code represents facial-paralysis repair involving skin and muscle; codes 15840–15842 describe other graft approaches for facial paralysis.
Is this a cosmetic rhytidectomy code?
No. It applies to repair associated with facial paralysis, not a cosmetic forehead, cheek, chin, or neck lift.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral facial work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the facial-paralysis indication and the skin and muscle repair performed, including the operative technique and treated anatomy.
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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