CPT code 31610: Tracheostomy, skin-flap fenestration2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31610 in California.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 31610 covers

Code 31610 represents operative creation of a tracheal airway in which a skin flap is opened and fashioned at the tracheal stoma, rather than a routine planned tracheostomy. An otolaryngologist, head-and-neck surgeon, or other surgeon performs it in the operating room when the operative plan calls for this flap-based technique. The operative note should describe the tracheal opening and how the skin flap forms the stoma; a note that says only “tracheostomy” does not establish this distinct work.

Report 31610 when the documented technique supports skin-flap fenestration, not for routine planned or emergency airway access. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. When another procedure subject to multiple-procedure reduction is performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery and does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 31610 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 31610 rate is calculated

Each of 31610’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 31610

31610 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

31610 compared with similar codes

How to choose

31600TracheostomyPlanned, age two or older

Choose 31610 when the surgeon documents the skin-flap method of forming the tracheal stoma. A planned tracheostomy without that technique points to 31600.

31601TracheostomyPlanned, under age two

31601 is the planned-tracheostomy code for a patient younger than two years. The skin-flap technique, rather than age alone, distinguishes 31610.

31603Emergency tracheostomyOpen tracheal airway

31603 describes emergency transtracheal airway access. Code 31610 describes planned operative stoma creation using a skin flap.

31613Stoma revisionSimple revision

31613 is for simple revision of an existing tracheostoma. Code 31610 is for creating the stoma with a skin-flap technique.

Codes related to 31610

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates