CPT code 15736: Flap reconstruction2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Reports transfer of a muscle, muscle-and-skin, or fascia-and-skin flap to cover an upper-extremity defect while maintaining its blood supply.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15736 in Nebraska.
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 15736 covers
Use 15736 for moving a muscle, muscle-and-skin, or fascia-and-skin flap to cover a defect in the upper extremity while maintaining its vascular connection. Plastic or reconstructive, hand, and orthopedic surgeons may perform this reconstruction after trauma, tumor removal, or another operation leaves exposed structures or inadequate soft-tissue coverage. It is a flap transfer, not a free flap requiring microvascular reconnection.
Choose the code by recipient anatomy and the flap technique documented in the operative report. Record the defect, flap composition and source, retained blood supply, and transfer performed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
15736 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Unavailable | $1,008.15 |
How the 15736 rate is calculated
Each of 15736’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 · 15736
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.61
16.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense13.35
13.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.31
3.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
33.2700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,111.25
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15736
15736 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15736
Flap reconstruction
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 15736
Flap reconstruction
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
15736 without 51 · national facility
$1,111.25
Flap reconstruction
15736-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$555.63
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%).
15736 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15734Trunk flap
- 15734 is the regional flap code for the trunk; 15736 is for upper-extremity reconstruction.
- 15738Lower-extremity flap
- 15738 applies to lower-extremity flap reconstruction. Use 15736 when the recipient defect is in the upper extremity.
- 15756Free tissue flap
- 15756 describes a free muscle or myocutaneous flap with microvascular transfer. 15736 describes a flap that retains its vascular connection.
- 15740Island flap
- 15740 identifies an island pedicle flap. Select 15736 when the operative technique and flap composition match the upper-extremity muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap service.
15736 billing questions
How is 15736 distinguished from a free flap code?
15736 describes an upper-extremity flap that retains its vascular connection. A free muscle or myocutaneous flap with microvascular transfer is reported with 15756.
Which nearby code applies to a trunk or leg flap?
Use 15734 for the corresponding muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap work on the trunk, and 15738 for the lower extremity. The recipient site determines which regional code fits.
Should modifier 50 be appended for work on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
What operative details support reporting 15736?
Document the upper-extremity defect, the flap’s tissue composition and source, its maintained blood supply, and the transfer used to provide coverage.
How do assistant and co-surgeon services affect payment?
Medicare does not pay an assistant-at-surgery service for this code. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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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