Billing code 15836: Skin excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports surgical removal of redundant skin from the upper arm, commonly during brachioplasty after substantial weight loss or when excess tissue causes functional problems.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15836 in Utah.
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 15836 covers
This service removes excess skin from the upper arm and closes the resulting wound, typically as part of brachioplasty. Plastic surgeons commonly perform it in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting for patients with substantial upper-arm skin redundancy, including after major weight loss. The site must be the upper arm; removal involving the forearm or hand is described by a different code.
Report the service for the operative work performed, with documentation identifying the upper-arm site, the extent of skin removed, and the clinical reason for surgery. This major surgery code includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
15836 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $703.11 |
How the 15836 rate is calculated
Each of 15836’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 · 15836
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.34Practice expense 9.56Malpractice 1.92
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15836
15836 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15836
Skin 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 · 15836
Skin 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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
15836 without 50 · national facility
$728.81
Skin excision
15836-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,093.22
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
15836 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15836 vs 15837 vs 15839 vs 15830: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15837Skin excision
- Choose 15836 for the upper arm and 15837 for the forearm or hand. The operative site determines which code describes the excision.
- 15839Excess skin excision
- 15839 describes excessive skin excision in another area not specified by a site-specific code. For an upper-arm excision, use 15836.
- 15830Exc excessive skin abdomen
- 15830 describes excess skin excision of the abdomen, not the upper arm. Select the code that matches the treated body site.
15836 billing questions
When should 15836 be selected instead of 15837?
Use 15836 for removal of excessive skin from the upper arm. Use 15837 when the treated site is the forearm or hand.
Does 15836 include the related postoperative visits?
Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral upper-arm surgery reported?
Report bilateral surgery with modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon be paid for 15836?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when 15836 is performed with another procedure in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction, with payment at 50%.
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 15836 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 →