CPT code 15004: Wound preparation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports surgical preparation of a wound recipient site on specified complex body areas before grafting or reconstruction, measured by the prepared area.
Medicare pays $381.91–$416.02 for 15004 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 15004 covers
This service prepares a wound bed on the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, around the eyes, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits. The surgeon excises nonviable wound tissue, burn eschar, or scar, including involved subcutaneous tissue, to create a suitable recipient site for reconstruction. Plastic surgeons, burn surgeons, and other surgeons performing reconstruction may provide it in an operating room or another appropriate procedural setting. The code represents site preparation, not placement of a graft or other reconstructive material.
Report 15004 for the first 100 sq cm, or the applicable 1% body-surface-area unit for infants and children; use 15005 for each additional unit. Document the anatomic site, prepared area, tissue removed, and the operative work that created the recipient bed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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.
Where 15004 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$381.91 to $416.02
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $416.02 | $230.14 |
| Beaumont | $381.91 | $222.04 |
| Brazoria | $399.01 | $224.91 |
| Dallas | $401.95 | $226.96 |
| Fort Worth | $399.87 | $226.65 |
| Galveston | $400.48 | $226.02 |
| Houston | $411.82 | $237.37 |
| Rest Of Texas | $390.52 | $223.79 |
How the 15004 rate is calculated
Each of 15004’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 · 15004
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.47
4.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.02
7.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.1100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$404.48
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15004
The CMS indicators that decide how 15004 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15004
Wound preparation
| 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 | 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. |
15004 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15002Wound preparation
- Both describe recipient-site preparation, but 15002 applies to the trunk, arms, and legs. Select 15004 for the face, head and neck, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits.
- 15005Wound preparation
- 15004 covers the initial area unit at its specified sites. Use 15005 for each additional area unit, not as a replacement for the initial-unit code.
- 15120Skin graft
- 15004 prepares the recipient bed by excising wound tissue, eschar, or scar. 15120 represents split-thickness skin graft placement at specified anatomic sites.
15004 billing questions
When should 15004 be chosen instead of 15002?
Use 15004 for recipient-site preparation on the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, around the eyes, genitalia, hands, feet, or multiple digits. Code 15002 is for the corresponding preparation on the trunk, arms, or legs.
How is additional prepared area reported?
Report 15004 for the initial area unit and 15005 for each additional 100 sq cm, or applicable additional 1% body-surface-area unit for infants and children. The operative report should support the measured area.
Does 15004 include placement of a skin graft?
No. It represents preparation of the recipient bed, not graft placement. When a graft is also placed, the graft service is represented by its applicable graft code.
Can modifier 50 be used for preparation on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 15004. Report the service according to the prepared area and applicable code-family instructions.
What same-day care is included in the payment?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
Fee sheets
Put 15004 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →