Billing code 15273: Skin substitute graftMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Report this code for applying a skin substitute graft to a large wound on the trunk, arm, or leg, using the applicable area threshold.
Medicare pays $315.08–$339.30 for 15273 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 15273 covers
A clinician applies a skin substitute graft to a wound on the trunk, an arm, or a leg. This service is commonly performed by surgeons and wound-care clinicians for wounds such as chronic diabetic or venous ulcers and other wounds requiring graft coverage. The graft is applied to the wound; this code is not for harvesting a patient's own skin. The corresponding codes distinguish wound location and total treated surface area.
Choose this base code when the total wound area meets the large-area threshold for the trunk, arms, or legs. For infants and children, the area basis uses body surface area rather than the adult square-centimeter measure. Document wound location, measurements, the total area treated, and graft application. Code 15274 reports each additional area increment with this service. Medicare includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care in the 0-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in one 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 services are not paid, and 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.
Where 15273 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $339.30 | $172.32 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $315.08 | $165.38 |
How the 15273 rate is calculated
Each of 15273’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 · 15273
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.41
3.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.61
5.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.6400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$321.98
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15273
The CMS indicators that decide how 15273 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15273
Skin substitute graft
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15273 without 51 · national office
$321.98
Skin substitute graft
15273-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$160.99
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%).
15273 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15271Skin substitute graft
- Both codes address trunk, arm, or leg wounds. Choose 15271 for the smaller wound-area category and 15273 when the total area meets the large-area threshold.
- 15274Skin substitute
- 15273 covers the base area for a large wound; 15274 reports each additional area increment and is used with the base service.
- 15275Skin substitute
- Use 15273 for wounds on the trunk, arms, or legs. Use 15275 when the treated site is the face, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia.
15273 billing questions
How does 15273 differ from 15271?
Both cover skin substitute graft application to the trunk, arms, or legs. Select between them based on the total wound surface area and the applicable adult or pediatric area measure.
When is 15274 reported with 15273?
Report 15274 for each additional area increment beyond the area covered by 15273. Document the total treated wound area to support the base and additional units.
Can modifier 50 be used for wounds on both legs?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service based on the treated wound area and applicable coding instructions.
Is routine same-day postoperative care separately included?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. The code does not establish a multi-day global period.
Can an assistant-at-surgery or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant-at-surgery service for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
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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