15769 describes another autologous soft-tissue grafting approach involving direct excision. Choose 15770 when the graft is specifically a dermis-fat-fascia composite.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
15770 Composite tissue graft Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports placement of a dermis-fat-fascia tissue graft to restore or reinforce a soft-tissue area when a composite graft is selected. Compare 15770 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 15770 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$567.05–$586.44
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Plastic surgery
About 15770: Derma-fat-fascia graft placement
Reports placement of a dermis-fat-fascia tissue graft to restore or reinforce a soft-tissue area when a composite graft is selected.
This procedure uses a composite graft containing dermis, subcutaneous fat, and fascia to restore volume or reinforce deficient soft tissue. Plastic and reconstructive surgeons may use it when a defect or contour problem calls for this combination of tissues rather than a skin-only graft, a fat-only graft, or a flap. The operative record should identify the graft tissue, the recipient area, and the reconstructive purpose.
Report the code for the derma-fat-fascia graft service, with documentation supporting why this graft type was selected and describing the operative work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 15770
- 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 may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.74 · 48%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.00 · 44%
- Malpractice RVU1.41 · 8%
1.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2557 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.
15770 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
15771 is for autologous fat grafting harvested by liposuction. It is not the code for a graft combining dermis, fat, and fascia.
15760 applies to composite skin grafting. Choose 15770 when the graft is the dermis-fat-fascia tissue combination.
Compare 15770 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$567.05
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$586.44
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15770 billing questions
How does this differ from 15769?
Use 15770 for a graft of dermis, fat, and fascia. Code 15769 describes a different autologous soft-tissue grafting approach involving direct excision.
How does this differ from 15771?
Code 15771 is for autologous fat grafting using liposuction harvest. Code 15770 is selected for the composite dermis-fat-fascia graft.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code based on its descriptor or anatomy.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What documentation supports reporting this graft?
Document the composite tissue used, the recipient area, the reconstructive purpose, and the operative work. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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.
