Billing code 15838: Fat pad excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports surgical removal of excess submental adipose tissue, typically to reduce a localized fat pad beneath the chin during facial or neck contouring.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15838 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 15838 covers
A surgeon removes excess adipose tissue in the submental region beneath the chin. Plastic and facial plastic surgeons commonly perform this contouring procedure in an outpatient operating room or hospital setting, sometimes as part of a broader neck or lower-face operation. The service is directed at the submental fat pad rather than excess skin elsewhere on the body or a general neck-lift procedure.
Report the code when the operative work removes the submental fat pad; documentation should identify the treated site, the excess tissue addressed, and the procedure performed. 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 the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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.
15838 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $577.92 |
How the 15838 rate is calculated
Each of 15838’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 · 15838
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 8.04Practice expense 8.44Malpractice 1.48
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15838
15838 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15838
Fat pad 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 · 15838
Fat pad 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
15838 without 51 · national facility
$599.88
Fat pad excision
15838-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$299.94
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%).
15838 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
15838 vs 15825 vs 15839 vs 15876: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 15825Rhytdct nck pltysml tghtg
- Use 15838 for excision directed at the submental fat pad. Use 15825 for a neck rhytidectomy involving broader neck-lifting work.
- 15839Excess skin excision
- Use 15838 for the specifically identified submental fat pad; 15839 describes excision of excessive skin in another area.
- 15876Suction lipectomy head&neck
- Use 15838 for excision of the submental fat pad. Use 15876 when the service is suction-assisted lipectomy of the head and neck.
15838 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from a neck rhytidectomy?
This code reports excision of the submental fat pad. A neck rhytidectomy addresses the broader neck-lifting work, such as skin and platysmal tightening.
Can it be reported with a neck-lift procedure?
It may be performed in the same session as a neck lift when the surgeon performs distinct submental fat-pad excision. Document the separate work and apply the same-session multiple-procedure payment rule.
Should modifier 50 be used for work under the chin?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should specify the submental location, the excess fat pad treated, and the excision performed. A general description of neck contouring alone does not establish this specific service.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
Only when the record documents medical necessity for the assistant. Co-surgeon and team-surgery payment are not permitted for this code.
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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