Billing code 15944: Pressure ulcer excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
For an ischial pressure ulcer requiring excision and local skin-flap closure, report this reconstructive procedure when the operative work matches that approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 15944 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 15944 covers
This procedure removes a pressure ulcer over the ischial area and closes the resulting defect with a skin flap. It is typically performed by a plastic, reconstructive, or other surgeon experienced in pressure-ulcer reconstruction, often in a facility setting for a patient with a chronic, deep wound over the sitting bone. The operative report should identify the ischial location, describe the excision and flap used, and document the closure performed.
Select this code when the wound is closed with a skin flap and the service does not include the bone removal represented by a different code in this family. A primary suture closure or a procedure that includes ostectomy calls for a different selection. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation; co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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.
15944 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $821.14 |
How the 15944 rate is calculated
Each of 15944’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 · 15944
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.13
12.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.10
11.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.25
2.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.4800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$851.05
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15944
15944 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 15944
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 · 15944
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
15944 without 51 · national facility
$851.05
Pressure ulcer excision
15944-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$425.53
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%).
15944 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15940Pressure ulcer surgery
- Choose 15940 for primary suture closure. Choose 15944 when a skin flap is used to close the ischial defect.
- 15941Pressure ulcer excision
- 15941 includes ostectomy with primary closure; 15944 describes skin-flap closure without that bone-removal component.
- 15945Skin flap closure
- Both describe skin-flap closure at the ischial site, but 15945 includes ostectomy. Use 15944 when the documented procedure does not include that bone removal.
- 15946Pressure ulcer surgery
- 15946 involves preparation of a muscle flap. Use 15944 for closure with a skin flap when the operative work supports that approach.
15944 billing questions
How is this different from 15940?
15940 describes ischial pressure-ulcer excision with primary closure. Use 15944 when the defect is closed with a skin flap.
When should 15945 be considered instead?
15945 is the ischial skin-flap option that includes ostectomy. The operative report must support bone removal to select that code rather than 15944.
Can the skin-flap closure be billed separately?
The flap closure is part of the service represented by 15944. Do not separately report a routine closure of the excision defect.
What documentation supports reporting 15944?
Document the pressure ulcer's ischial location, the excision performed, and the skin flap used to close the defect. State whether bone was removed, since ostectomy changes the code selection.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral ischial ulcers?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. The CMS bilateral adjustment is not available for 15944.
What limits apply to assistant or co-surgeon reporting?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted for this procedure.
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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