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CPT 15946 — Exc isch pr ulc prep mus flp

CPT code 15946 (Exc isch pr ulc prep mus flp) carries 23.52 work RVUs under the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Total RVUs are 43.73 in a non-facility setting and 43.73 in a facility setting, which at the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40 works out to $1,460.62 and $1,460.62 respectively.

23.52
Work RVU
43.73
Total RVU (non-facility)
$1,460.62
Medicare, non-facility
$1,460.62
Medicare, facility
Calculate your total wRVUs →

RVU breakdown for CPT 15946

ComponentRVUsWhat it covers
Work RVU23.52Physician time, skill, effort, and stress.
Practice expense RVU (non-facility)15.33Office overhead, staff, supplies.
Practice expense RVU (facility)0.0Overhead when performed in a hospital.
Malpractice RVU4.88Professional liability cost.
Total RVU (non-facility)43.73Work + non-facility PE + malpractice.
Total RVU (facility)43.73Work + facility PE + malpractice.

How Medicare payment is calculated

Medicare multiplies total RVUs by the annual conversion factor. For CPT 15946 in 2026:

SettingTotal RVUConversion factorNational payment
Non-facility43.73$33.40$1,460.62
Facility43.73$33.40$1,460.62

These are national amounts. Actual payment is adjusted by the Geographic Practice Cost Index for your locality — check yours with the GPCI lookup.

Billing rules for CPT 15946

Global period
90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.
Multiple procedure reduction
Subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction (100%/50%/50%…).
Bilateral surgery
Bilateral adjustment does not apply.
Assistant surgeon
Not permitted.
Co-surgeon
Not permitted.
Team surgery
Not permitted unless documentation supports medical necessity.

Questions about CPT 15946

How many work RVUs is CPT 15946?

CPT 15946 is assigned 23.52 work RVUs in the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

What does Medicare pay for CPT 15946?

At the 2026 national conversion factor of $33.40, CPT 15946 pays approximately $1,460.62 in a non-facility setting and $1,460.62 in a facility setting before geographic adjustment.

What is the global period for CPT 15946?

90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.

RVU values reflect the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (conversion factor $33.40). Payment figures are national and unadjusted for geography. Verify against the official fee schedule before using for billing.