Loading...

    Explore
    • Policy Monitoring
    • Live Policy Feed
    • Billing Codes
    • NPI Medicare & Medicaid
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Health Insurance Payers
    • States
    • Service Lines
    • Taxonomy Codes
    Lookup tools
    • Billing Code Lookup
    • CPT Modifier Lookup
    • Provider Taxonomy Code Lookup
    • Healthcare Provider & Facility Lookup
    • Health Insurance Payer Lookup
    • Payer Contact Directory

    Policy & Benchmark Tools

    • Prior Authorization Lookup
    • Coverage Criteria Lookup
    • Timely Filing Lookup
    • Billing Code Reimbursement Rates
    • Payer Comparison Dashboard
    • Facility Comparison Dashboard
    • All tools

    Company

    • About OpenPayer
    • Data Sources
    • Trek Health
    OpenPayerby Trek Health
    LinkedInYouTube

    © 2026 Trek Health. All rights reserved.

    OpenPayer is built and maintained by Trek Health.

    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesAutografts/Tissue Cultured AutograftCPT cpt-15050-pinch-graft-skin-grafting-small-defect
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    CPT 15050: Pinch Graft, Skin, Up to 2 cm

    Medicare pays $626 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 15050 describes a surgical pinch graft procedure in which the provider removes one or more small patches of healthy skin (donor site) and secures them to a recipient site to cover small ulcers, a toe or fingertip, or other small defects up to 2 cm in diameter; service type: surgical skin grafting (pinch graft), typical site of service: outpatient clinic, minor procedure room, or operating room depending on clinical need.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Onychomycosis diagnostic testing and coverage, Topical Acne-Non-Retinoid Products, Dermatology - Vtama Drug Quantity Management Policy - Per Days.

    Customize your policy alerts

    Sign up for cpt 15050 policy alerts

    Get alerted when payer policies referencing 15050 are released or updated.

    Monitor payer policy activity

    Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 6

    Explore openpayer tools

    • Billing CodesCPT, HCPCS, DRG & more
    • Reimbursement RatesCommercial vs. Medicare rate reports
    • ProvidersHospitals & facilities
    • PayersPlans & market footprint
    • Taxonomy CodesNUCC specialty codes
    • ModifiersCPT modifiers & usage
    • Prior AuthorizationPA policies by payer & drug
    • Timely FilingFiling deadlines by payer
    • Coverage CriteriaMedical necessity by payer
    • Payer ContactsClaims, PA & appeals contacts
    View all tools

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 62-year-old patient with a chronic nonhealing plantar ulcer on the toe and exposed subcutaneous tissue presents to a dermatologic surgery clinic. Conservative care including dressings and offloading has failed over several weeks. The surgeon plans a minor operative procedure in an ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department to harvest one or more pinch grafts (small full-thickness skin fragments up to 2 cm diameter) from a healthy donor site, typically the proximal thigh or groin, and secure them to the recipient ulcer bed to promote epithelialization and closure. The workflow includes preoperative evaluation, informed consent, local or regional anesthesia, preparation of donor and recipient sites, harvest of grafts, fixation of grafts with sutures or adhesive, dressing application, and postoperative instructions with scheduled wound checks and dressing changes.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    15002Pinch graft; trunk, arms, legs, hands, and/or feet, single graftAlternative code for single small pinch grafts on larger anatomic sites; used when location or size differs from 15050.
    15260Full-thickness skin graft; forehead, cheeks, eyelids, nose, ears, lips and/or mucous membranes, direct closure of donor siteUsed when a full-thickness graft rather than pinch graft is required for facial or specialized reconstruction.
    11042Debridement, subcutaneous tissue, first 20 sq cm or lessOften performed before grafting to prepare a clean viable wound bed; may be reported when debridement is performed separately.
    13160Secondary closure of surgical wound or dehiscence, extensive or complicated closure up to 100 sq cmMay be performed if wound requires more extensive closure or layered repair in conjunction with grafting.
    99213Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patientTypical preoperative or postoperative visit for wound assessment and follow-up after graft placement.

    Related Modifiers

    9 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    23Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    55Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT…- Use modifier -55 when billing the same CPT surgical code that has a 10- or 90-day global period and you, as a provider other than the original surgeon, furnished ONLY postoperative management (no…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    78CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy CodeSpecialtyNotes
    207Q00000XFamily Medicine PhysicianFamily Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
    208D00000XGeneral Practice PhysicianA physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
    207LP2900XPain Medicine (Anesthesiology) PhysicianAn anesthesiologist who provides a high level of care, either as a primary physician or consultant, for patients experiencing problems with acute, chr…
    363A00000XPhysician AssistantA physician assistant is a person who has successfully completed an accredited education program for physician assistant, is licensed by the state and…
    363LC0200XCritical Care Medicine Nurse PractitionerPhysician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Nurse Practitioner
    111NR0200XRadiology ChiropractorChiropractic radiology is a referral specialty that provides consultation services at the request of other qualified doctors. Chiropractic radiologist…
    111NT0100XThermography ChiropractorThe NUCC recommends this code not be used. Choose a more appropriate code.
    163WU0100XUrology Registered NurseNursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Dermatology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Onychomycosis diagnostic testing and coverageOscar Health2026-10-01
    Topical Acne-Non-Retinoid ProductsCigna2026-08-15
    Dermatology - Vtama Drug Quantity Management Policy - Per DaysCigna2026-08-15
    Medical Necessity Guidelines: Acne and Rosacea Medicationsharvard pilgrim health care2026-08-11
    Pharmacologic Treatment of PsoriasisPremera Bluecross2026-08-01
    Winlevi (clascoterone 1% cream) — Topical AcneCigna2026-08-01
    Spevigo (spesolimab‑sbzo) for generalized pustular psoriasisUnitedHealthcare2026-08-01
    Onychomycosis Testingblue cross blue shield - louisiana2026-08-01
    Spesolimab-sbzo (Spevigoblue cross blue shield - tennessee2026-07-31
    Home ultraviolet light therapy equipment for skin conditionsselect_health2026-07-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-15040-SKIN-HARVEST-TISSUE-CULTURED-AUTOGRAFT

    CPT 15040: Harvest of Skin for Tissue Cultured Skin Autograft (≤100 cm2)

    CPT-15100-SPLIT-THICKNESS-AUTOGRAFT-TRUNK-ARMS-LEGS

    CPT 15100: Split-Thickness Autograft from Trunk/Arms/Legs

    CPT-15101-SPLIT-THICKNESS-AUTOGRAFT-ADDITIONAL-100CM2

    CPT 15101: Split-Thickness Autograft, Additional 100 cm²

    CPT-15110-EPIDERMAL-AUTOGRAFT-TRUNK-ARMS-LEGS

    CPT 15110: Epidermal Autograft, Trunk/Arms/Legs

    CPT-15111-EPIDERMAL-AUTOGRAFT-TRUNK-ARMS-LEGS-ADDITIONAL

    CPT 15111: Epidermal Autograft, Trunk/Arms/Legs (per 100 cm2)

    CPT-15115-EPIDERMAL-AUTOGRAFT-FACE-AND-SENSITIVE-AREAS

    CPT 15115: Epidermal Autograft for Face/Scalp/Hands/Feet

    CPT-15116-EPIDERMAL-AUTOGRAFT-FACE-SCALP-HANDS-FEET

    CPT 15116: Epidermal Autograft for Face, Hands, Feet, Multiple Digits

    CPT-15120-SPLIT-THICKNESS-AUTOGRAFT-FACE-HANDS-FEET

    CPT 15120: Split‑Thickness Autograft, Face/Scalp (first 100 sq cm)

    CPT-15121-SPLIT-THICKNESS-AUTOGRAFT-ADDITIONAL-100-SQ-CM

    CPT 15121: Split-Thickness Autograft for Face, Scalp, Eyelids, Mouth, Neck, Ears

    CPT-15130-DERMAL-AUTOGRAFT-HARVEST-PLACEMENT-TRUNK-ARMS-LEGS

    CPT 15130: Dermal Autograft Harvest and Placement

    Showing 1–10 of 27

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
    Published by

    Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.