Billing code 15760: Composite graftMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports transfer of a composite graft containing multiple tissue types, such as skin with cartilage, to reconstruct a defect when a free graft is appropriate.
Medicare pays $839.61–$919.64 for 15760 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 15760 covers
A composite graft transfers more than one tissue type together to repair a defect. A familiar example is an ear-derived graft containing skin and cartilage used to reconstruct part of the nose, such as the nasal ala. Plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons commonly perform these reconstructions after tumor removal, trauma, or other tissue loss. The graft is detached from its donor site and placed into the recipient defect; it does not retain a vascular pedicle as a flap does.
Select this code when the transferred graft is composite, rather than skin alone or a dermis-fat-fascia graft. The operative report should identify the defect, donor site, tissue components transferred, and graft placement. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 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 50% reduction. 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.
Where 15760 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
$839.61 to $919.64
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $919.64 | $672.24 |
| East St. Louis | $863.09 | $636.62 |
| Rest Of Illinois | $839.61 | $614.86 |
| Suburban Chicago | $907.23 | $654.42 |
How the 15760 rate is calculated
Each of 15760’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 · 15760
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.61Practice expense 14.73Malpractice 1.33
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15760
15760 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15760
Composite graft
| 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) | 0.10/0.71/0.19 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 15760
Composite graft
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
15760 without 51 · national office
$857.40
Composite graft
15760-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$428.70
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%).
15760 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15760 vs 15260 vs 15770 vs 15740: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15260Full-thickness graft
- Choose 15260 for a full-thickness skin graft to a specified facial site when the graft is skin alone. Choose 15760 when multiple tissue types are transferred together.
- 15770Composite tissue graft
- 15770 is for a dermis-fat-fascia graft. 15760 applies when the graft combines tissue types such as skin and cartilage.
- 15740Island flap
- 15740 describes an island pedicle flap that keeps a vascular attachment. 15760 describes a detached graft placed into the defect.
15760 billing questions
When should I report 15760 instead of a full-thickness skin graft code?
Use 15760 when the graft transfers multiple tissue types together, such as skin with cartilage. A graft consisting of skin alone is generally reported with the applicable skin-graft code.
Is an ear-to-nose graft a typical example?
Yes. An auricular composite graft containing skin and cartilage may be used to reconstruct a nasal defect, including part of the ala.
Can the donor-site harvest be billed separately?
The graft procedure includes obtaining and placing the composite tissue. Do not separately report the harvest as a second graft procedure.
Should modifier 50 be used for grafts on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service based on the procedure performed, not with modifier 50.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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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