Soft tissue repair · Multi-region
Split-thickness skin autograft to the trunk, arms, or legs for the first 100 square centimeters, or 1 percent of body area in infants and children.
- Medicare
- $922.53
- Work RVU
- 9.65
- Global, days
- 90
- Region
- Multi-region
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Recipient site location and area in sq cm
- Donor site location and thickness of graft
- Wound bed preparation documented separately
- Fixation method (staples, sutures, bolster, NPWT)
- Reason for grafting and wound history
- Relationship to prior surgery and staged plan
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
15100 is harvesting a split-thickness skin graft from the patient and placing it on a wound on the trunk, arms, or legs. It covers the first 100 sq cm (or 1 percent of body area in children). Each additional 100 sq cm is 15101. It has a 90-day global.
Orthopedic surgeons use it to close fasciotomy wounds after compartment syndrome, degloving injuries, and soft tissue loss around open fractures. Often a plastic surgeon does it, but trauma and foot and ankle surgeons do their own grafting.
Recipient site prep for this region (15002, plus 15003 for each additional 100 sq cm) is billed separately when documented, so do not leave it off. Measure the recipient area, not the donor area. If grafting is done as part of a staged plan after fasciotomy, the return trip needs modifier 58. Simple debridement of the bed is included with the prep code, not billed as 11042 to 11047 on the same area.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (9.65) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (27.62) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 9.65 |
| Practice expense RVU | 16.06 |
| Malpractice RVU | 1.91 |
| Total RVU | 27.62 |
| Medicare national rate | $922.53 |
| Global period | 90 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $922.53 |
HOPD (APC 5054) Hospital outpatient department | $2,107.97 |
ASC (PI A2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $1,128.57 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 15100 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Donor area measured instead of recipient area
- Site prep not billed or not documented
- Debridement billed separately on the same area as site prep
- Staged grafting without modifier 58
- Area over 100 sq cm without 15101
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Do I measure the donor or recipient site for 15100?
02Can I bill wound bed prep with 15100?
03Which modifier for grafting a fasciotomy wound a few days later?
04What is the global for 15100?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe captures recipient area, donor site, bed prep, and the staged plan, so the graft and prep codes are both supported.
See how Mira captures CPT 15100 documentation