Soft tissue repair · Multi-region
Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the trunk, arms, or legs, total wound area up to 100 sq cm, for the first 25 sq cm or less.
- Medicare
- $157.99
- Work RVU
- 1.46
- Global, days
- 0
- 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 ↓
- Wound location and size before application
- Product name, size applied, and wastage
- Conservative care tried and for how long
- Wound measurements over time showing lack of healing
- Fixation and dressing method
- Application number in the treatment series
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 ↓
15271 covers applying a skin substitute product to a wound on the trunk, arms, or legs when the total wound is 100 sq cm or less. It pays for the first 25 sq cm. Each additional 25 sq cm is 15272. Wounds over 100 sq cm use 15273 and 15274. The global is 0 days.
Orthopedic and podiatry practices use this on chronic leg ulcers and wounds left after surgery or trauma. Foot wounds are coded with the foot and hand codes (15275 to 15278), not 15271, which is a common mistake in podiatry.
The product is billed separately with its own HCPCS code, by square centimeter, and Medicare expects JW or JZ for wastage. Payers commonly expect a documented stretch of standard wound care, with serial measurements showing the wound is not closing, before the first application. Medicare changed how it pays for skin substitute products for 2026, so check current MAC policy before scheduling. Site prep and debridement on the same wound are often bundled.
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 (1.46) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (4.73) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 1.46 |
| Practice expense RVU | 3.06 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.21 |
| Total RVU | 4.73 |
| Medicare national rate | $157.99 |
| Global period | 0 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 | $157.99 |
HOPD (APC 5053) Hospital outpatient department | $755.08 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $404.93 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 15271 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Foot wound billed with 15271 instead of 15275
- No documented failure of standard wound care
- Product wastage missing JW or JZ
- More applications than the payer policy allows
- Debridement billed on the same wound without support
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Can I use 15271 on a foot ulcer?
02Is the skin substitute product billed separately?
03Can I bill debridement with 15271?
04Does Medicare require conservative care before 15271?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe records wound size history, conservative care, the product applied, and wastage, which is what skin substitute audits check.
See how Mira captures CPT 15271 documentation