Billing code 15151: Cultured skin graftMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports additional trunk, arm, or leg area covered with cultured autologous skin beyond the initial area reported with the primary graft code.
Medicare pays $130.88–$147.55 for 15151 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Chicago. 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 15151 covers
Code 15151 captures additional treated area when cultured autologous skin is used to cover a burn or another large skin defect on the trunk, arms, or legs. The graft is prepared by expanding cells from the patient’s own skin sample and then applying the cultured tissue to the wound, typically in burn or reconstructive surgery by a burn or plastic surgeon.
Report 15151 only with 15150, the primary code for the initial treated area. Each unit represents an additional 100 sq cm or part thereof; for infants and children, the corresponding additional-area measure is each 1% of body surface area and is reported with 15152. Document the graft type, body site, total area treated, and the additional area supporting the units billed. Medicare pays this add-on within the primary procedure’s global period.
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 15151 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$130.88 to $147.55
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $147.55 | $119.69 |
| East St. Louis | $138.71 | $113.21 |
| Rest Of Illinois | $130.88 | $105.57 |
| Suburban Chicago | $139.77 | $111.30 |
How the 15151 rate is calculated
Each of 15151’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 · 15151
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.95Practice expense 1.30Malpractice 0.50
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15151
The CMS indicators that decide how 15151 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15151
Cultured skin graft
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
15151 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15151 vs 15150 vs 15152 vs 15156 vs 15101: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 15150Cultured skin graft
- 15150 reports the initial cultured graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15151 only for additional area beyond that initial amount.
- 15152Cultured skin graft
- 15152 reports additional area in 1% body-surface increments for infants and children; 15151 reports additional 100 sq cm increments or part thereof.
- 15156Cultured skin graft
- 15156 reports additional cultured graft area at the face, scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia. Code 15151 is for the trunk, arms, or legs.
- 15101Skin graft
- 15101 reports additional area treated with a split-thickness skin graft. Code 15151 is for additional area treated with cultured autologous skin.
15151 billing questions
Can 15151 be reported without 15150?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with 15150 for the initial cultured skin graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs.
How is the number of units determined?
Report one unit for each additional 100 sq cm or part thereof beyond the initial area. For infants and children measured by body surface area, use 15152 for each additional 1% instead.
When should 15152 be used instead?
Use 15152 for additional cultured skin graft area on the trunk, arms, or legs when the area is measured in 1% increments of an infant’s or child’s body surface area. Code 15151 represents additional 100 sq cm increments.
Does 15151 have its own global period?
Medicare pays this add-on within the global period of the primary procedure, 15150.
What documentation supports the units?
Record the cultured autologous graft, treated body site, total area covered, and the additional area beyond the initial area. The measured area should support each unit billed.
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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