Billing code 15005: Wound preparationMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports additional recipient-site preparation on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits beyond the initial treated area.
Medicare pays $119.36 for 15005 in the office in Ohio (Ohio). 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 15005 covers
This add-on reports further surgical preparation of a recipient site in the specified areas by excising an open wound, burn eschar, or scar, including subcutaneous tissue. A plastic, reconstructive, or burn surgeon may perform the work before grafting or another reconstructive service in an operating room or outpatient surgical setting. Examples include preparing additional wound area on a hand or face after removal of devitalized tissue or scar.
Report 15005 only with the applicable primary preparation service, 15004. The additional area is measured in 100-square-centimeter increments, or in 1% body-area increments for infants and children. Documentation should identify the treated site, the tissue excised, the area prepared, and the additional extent beyond the initial area. CMS classifies 15005 as an add-on code; payment is 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.
15005 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $119.36 | $76.97 |
How the 15005 rate is calculated
Each of 15005’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 · 15005
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.56Practice expense 1.83Malpractice 0.34
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15005
The CMS indicators that decide how 15005 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15005
Wound preparation
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
15005 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15005 vs 15004 vs 15003 vs 15002 vs 15120: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 15004Wound preparation
- 15004 reports the initial qualifying recipient-site preparation; 15005 reports additional area and is used with the primary code.
- 15003Wound preparation
- 15003 covers additional preparation area on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15005 for additional area in the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits.
- 15002Wound preparation
- 15002 reports initial recipient-site preparation on the trunk, arms, or legs. It is not the primary code for 15005’s anatomic areas.
- 15120Skin graft
- 15120 reports split-thickness skin graft application to specified areas; 15005 reports additional recipient-site preparation, not graft placement.
15005 billing questions
When should 15005 be chosen instead of 15004?
Use 15004 for the initial recipient-site preparation in the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits. Report 15005 for additional qualifying area beyond that initial service.
Can 15005 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the applicable primary service, 15004.
Can wound preparation be reported with a skin graft?
It may be reported with a graft service when the surgeon performs and documents distinct recipient-site preparation in addition to graft application. The graft code represents the grafting work, not the additional area preparation described by 15005.
How is the additional area counted?
Document the additional area prepared in 100-square-centimeter increments. For infants and children, the descriptor uses additional 1% body-area increments.
What documentation supports 15005?
Record the qualifying anatomic site, the open wound, burn eschar, or scar excised, the tissue depth involved, and the additional area prepared beyond the initial area reported with 15004.
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
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