A skin substitute (also called a cellular and tissue-based product, or CTP) is an FDA-cleared bioengineered or human-derived sheet — such as Apligraf, Oasis, GraftJacket, or AmnioBand — that is applied directly to a chronic wound to deliver growth factors, collagen, and an extracellular matrix scaffold. It accelerates closure of wounds that have failed standard care.
Skin substitutes vary by source. Bioengineered products (Apligraf, Dermagraft) contain living cells cultured on a collagen scaffold. Acellular dermal matrices (GraftJacket, Oasis) provide an extracellular matrix scaffold without living cells. Amniotic membrane allografts (AmnioBand, EpiFix) are derived from donated placental tissue and are rich in growth factors. Each has an assigned Medicare HCPCS Q-code (Q4101, Q4107, Q4124, Q4151, etc.) and is billed under CPT 15271–15278.
Under Medicare LCD L35041, a wound qualifies for a skin substitute when it has failed at least 30 days of standard conservative care, the patient has adequate vascular supply, and underlying conditions (such as diabetes) are reasonably controlled. Documentation must include weekly wound measurements and a defined endpoint for therapy.
A skin substitute (also called a cellular and tissue-based product, or CTP) is an FDA-cleared bioengineered or human-derived sheet — such as Apligraf, Oasis, GraftJacket, or AmnioBand — that is applied directly to a chronic wound to deliver growth factors, collagen, and an extracellular matrix scaffold. It accelerates closure of wounds that have failed standard care.
Call 877-545-1300 or request a provider to begin care. Healix360 serves Southern California and Nevada and accepts Medicare Part B and most major insurance plans.