Billing code 15941: Pressure ulcer excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports excision of an ischial pressure ulcer with removal of underlying bone and direct suture closure, rather than closure with a flap.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15941 in Ohio.
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 15941 covers
This operation removes a pressure ulcer over the ischial area and excises underlying bone as an ostectomy, followed by direct primary suture closure. It is typically performed in an operating room by a plastic or reconstructive surgeon, or another surgeon managing complex pressure injuries. A common clinical setting is a chronic ulcer over the ischial tuberosity in a patient with limited mobility, such as someone who uses a wheelchair.
Select this code when the operative report supports both ostectomy and primary closure; a skin or muscle flap represents a different technique. Documentation should identify the ischial site, ulcer excision, bone removal, and closure method. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
15941 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $833.04 |
How the 15941 rate is calculated
Each of 15941’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 · 15941
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 12.10Practice expense 11.58Malpractice 2.25
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15941
15941 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15941
Pressure ulcer excision
| 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) | 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. |
| 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 · 15941
Pressure ulcer excision
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
15941 without 51 · national facility
$866.09
Pressure ulcer excision
15941-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$433.05
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%).
15941 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15941 vs 15940 vs 15945 vs 15946 vs 15931: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15940Pressure ulcer surgery
- Both involve ischial ulcer excision and direct closure. 15941 includes ostectomy; 15940 does not.
- 15945Skin flap closure
- Both include ischial ulcer excision and ostectomy. 15945 uses skin-flap closure, while 15941 uses primary suture closure.
- 15946Pressure ulcer surgery
- This is the ischial muscle or myocutaneous flap pathway. Use 15941 when the documented closure is primary suture after ostectomy.
- 15931Pressure ulcer excision
- This code concerns a sacral pressure ulcer with primary suture closure. 15941 is for the ischial site and includes ostectomy.
15941 billing questions
How does this differ from 15940?
Both describe ischial pressure-ulcer excision with primary suture closure, but 15941 also includes ostectomy. Use the operative technique, not ulcer stage alone, to distinguish them.
Can the ostectomy or primary closure be billed separately?
Both are part of the service described by this code. The key distinction is that bone is removed and the wound is closed directly rather than with a flap.
When is a flap code more appropriate?
Choose a flap procedure when the surgeon closes the defect with a skin flap or prepares a muscle or myocutaneous flap, rather than using primary suture closure.
Should modifier 50 be used for ulcers on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to this code and modifier 50 as inappropriate for its descriptor or anatomy.
What documentation supports reporting 15941?
The operative report should establish the ischial ulcer site, excision of the ulcer, removal of underlying bone, and direct primary suture closure.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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