Billing code 15271: Skin substitute graftMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports skin substitute graft application to trunk, arms, or legs for a treated wound area up to 100 cm², beginning with the first 25 cm².
Medicare pays $162.36–$182.34 for 15271 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 15271 covers
This service covers preparing the wound bed when performed and applying a skin substitute graft to wounds on the trunk, arms, or legs. It is commonly performed by surgeons and wound care clinicians in office, clinic, or facility settings for wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers on the leg or chronic ulcers on the trunk. The code represents the application service, not the skin substitute product itself; the product may be reported separately under an applicable product code when billing rules allow.
Choose 15271 when the combined treated wound area is up to 100 cm², for the first 25 cm² or less. Report 15272 for each additional 25 cm² or part of that amount within the 100 cm² range; use the larger-area code family when the total exceeds 100 cm². Document wound locations, measured treated area, wound-bed preparation, and graft application. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Do not append modifier 50. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 15271 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $162.36 | $75.14 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $182.34 | $80.70 |
How the 15271 rate is calculated
Each of 15271’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 · 15271
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.46
1.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.06
3.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.7300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$157.99
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 15271
The CMS indicators that decide how 15271 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 15271
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
15271 without 51 · national office
$157.99
Skin substitute graft
15271-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$79.00
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%).
15271 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 15272Skin substitute graft
- 15271 reports the initial 25 cm² or less. Use 15272 only for each additional 25 cm² or part thereof in the same qualifying area range.
- 15273Skin substitute graft
- Both cover skin substitute application to the trunk, arms, or legs, but 15273 begins the larger-area family when total treated wound area exceeds 100 cm².
- 15275Skin substitute
- Use 15275 for the skin substitute application family covering specified head, neck, hand, foot, or genital sites; 15271 is for trunk, arms, or legs.
- 15200Skin graft
- 15200 describes a full-thickness skin graft to the trunk. 15271 is for application of a skin substitute graft to the trunk, arms, or legs.
15271 billing questions
When should 15271 be selected instead of 15273?
Use 15271 when the combined treated wound area on the trunk, arms, or legs is up to 100 cm². For a total area greater than 100 cm², use the larger-area code family beginning with 15273.
How are additional wound-area units reported?
15271 covers the first 25 cm² or less. Report add-on code 15272 for each additional 25 cm² or part thereof, within the up-to-100 cm² range.
Can the skin substitute product be billed separately?
The application service is distinct from the product. The product may be reported with its applicable product code when billing rules allow.
Should modifier 50 be used when both sides are treated?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code, even when treatment involves both sides of the body.
What documentation supports 15271?
Record the treated wound locations, total treated surface area, wound-bed preparation when performed, and the graft application. The measurements support selection of the initial and any add-on area codes.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare payment for an assistant at surgery is statutorily restricted for this code. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 15271 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 →