$430.38
This code is for the initial forehead-flap transfer. Code 15630 may describe a later division and inset at the nose when that staged procedure is performed.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
15731 Forehead flap Medicare reimbursement rates in Kansas
Reports transfer of forehead tissue on its vascular pedicle, commonly for staged reconstruction of a nasal defect after cancer removal, trauma, or tissue loss. Compare 15731 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kansas.
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 15731 in Kansas?
Kansas 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
$1054.45
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kansas
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$809.57
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kansas
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.
Reconstructive surgery
About 15731: Pedicled forehead flap for reconstruction
Reports transfer of forehead tissue on its vascular pedicle, commonly for staged reconstruction of a nasal defect after cancer removal, trauma, or tissue loss.
A surgeon raises forehead tissue while keeping its blood supply attached, then transfers it to cover a defect, most commonly on the nose. This staged flap is often used by plastic, facial plastic, or otolaryngology surgeons when a nasal defect needs more vascularized tissue than a graft can provide. The flap remains connected to the forehead until a later operation divides and insets it.
Select this code for the forehead flap transfer, based on the flap used and its attached vascular pedicle—not simply because the defect is on the nose. The operative report should identify the donor tissue, recipient defect, and flap transfer. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures occur 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 15731
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU14.02 · 41%
- Practice expense (office) RVU18.22 · 53%
- Malpractice RVU2.14 · 6%
2.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2280 by national volume
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.
15731 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kansas, from the same CMS release.
$1,324.58
Code 15730 describes a midface flap with a preserved vascular pedicle; 15731 uses forehead tissue.
$961.03
Code 15740 describes an island pedicle flap. Choose 15731 when the transferred flap is specifically raised from the forehead and remains attached by its vascular pedicle.
No office rate
Code 15757 is for a free skin flap transferred with microvascular anastomosis. Code 15731 keeps the forehead flap attached to its original blood supply.
Compare 15731 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
Kansas →
Office / nonfacility
$1054.45
Facility
$809.57
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 15731 in Kansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
1,530
- Code
- 15731
- Physician work
- 14.02
- Practice expense
- 18.22
- Malpractice
- 2.14
GPCI2026.csv
54
- Locality
- Kansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.904
- Malpractice
- 0.504
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 14.02 | × 1.000 | 14.0200 |
| Practice expense | 18.22 | × 0.904 | 16.4709 |
| Malpractice | 2.14 | × 0.504 | 1.0786 |
| Total RVUs | 31.5694 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kansas$1054.45
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 14.02 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 18.22 | 0.904 |
| Malpractice | 2.14 | 0.504 |
(14.02 × 1 + 18.22 × 0.904 + 2.14 × 0.504) × $33.4009 = $1054.45
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 14.02 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 10.11 | 0.904 |
| Malpractice | 2.14 | 0.504 |
(14.02 × 1 + 10.11 × 0.904 + 2.14 × 0.504) × $33.4009 = $809.57
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.
15731 billing questions
When is this code appropriate for nasal reconstruction?
Use it when the surgeon transfers forehead tissue to the defect while keeping its vascular pedicle attached. The recipient site alone does not determine code selection.
Is division of the flap included in this service?
The initial transfer leaves the flap attached to its forehead blood supply. A later operation to divide and inset a flap at the nose is represented by a separate service, such as 15630 when its descriptor and circumstances fit.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the 90-day global period affect follow-up billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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.
1,52715630,,Delay flap eye/nos/ear/lip,A,,3.98,9.55,,4.80,,0.54,14.07,9.32,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,52815650,,Transfer skin pedicle flap,A,,4.65,12.13,,5.94,,0.87,17.65,11.46,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,52915730,,Mdfc flap w/prsrv vasc pedcl,A,,13.16,28.48,,8.77,,1.49,43.13,23.42,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,53015731,,Forehead flap w/vasc pedicle,A,,14.02,18.22,,10.11,,2.14,34.38,26.27,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,53115733,,Musc myoq/fscq flp h&n pedcl,A,,15.29,9.32,NA,9.32,,2.58,27.19,27.19,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,53215734,,Muscle-skin graft trunk,A,,22.43,14.11,NA,14.11,,4.98,41.52,41.52,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1,53315736,,Muscle-skin graft arm,A,,16.61,13.35,NA,13.35,,3.31,33.27,33.27,0,090,0.10,0.71,0.19,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958