CPT code 31622: Bronchoscopy, diagnostic with washing2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports diagnostic rigid or flexible bronchoscopy with airway inspection and bronchial washing when performed, without a separately described sampling or therapeutic procedure.
Medicare pays $255.80–$273.15 for 31622 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 31622 covers
A pulmonologist or other qualified physician uses a rigid or flexible bronchoscope to inspect the tracheobronchial tree for diagnostic purposes. The service may include bronchial washing: saline is introduced into an airway and retrieved for cytology or microbiology. Typical indications include evaluating hemoptysis, persistent cough, suspected airway lesions, or infection. Bronchoscopy is commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center, with office use less frequent.
Report this code when the diagnostic examination, with washing if performed, is the service provided; document the indication, scope findings, and any washing collected. Use a more specific bronchoscopy code when brushings, lavage, or biopsy are performed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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 31622 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$255.80 to $273.15
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $270.43 | $118.32 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $273.15 | $118.93 |
| Rest of Missouri | $255.80 | $116.16 |
How the 31622 rate is calculated
Each of 31622’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.
How the rate is built · 31622
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.47
2.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.68
5.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.30
0.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
8.4500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$282.24
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31622
The CMS indicators that decide how 31622 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31622
Bronchoscopy, diagnostic with washing
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31622 without 51 · national office
$282.24
Bronchoscopy, diagnostic with washing
31622-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$141.12
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
31622 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31623BronchoscopyBrush cytology
- Choose 31623 when bronchial brushing is performed to collect a specimen. Diagnostic inspection with washing when performed is described by 31622.
- 31624BronchoscopyBronchoalveolar lavage
- Choose 31624 for bronchoalveolar lavage, which samples distal airways and alveolar regions; 31622 describes diagnostic bronchoscopy with bronchial washing when performed.
- 31625Bronchoscopy biopsyAirway tissue sampling
- Choose 31625 when bronchial or endobronchial tissue is sampled by biopsy. Inspection and washing without that biopsy are described by 31622.
31622 billing questions
When should 31622 be used instead of 31624?
Use 31622 for diagnostic airway inspection with bronchial washing when performed. Use 31624 when bronchoalveolar lavage is performed to sample more distal airways and alveolar regions.
Can 31622 be reported with a bronchoscopy biopsy code?
The diagnostic inspection is generally part of a more definitive bronchoscopic procedure and is not separately reported with it. Report the code for the biopsy service performed.
Does bronchial washing require a separate code?
No. Washing is included in 31622 when performed; the documentation should identify the washing and its purpose.
How does 31622 differ from 31623?
31622 covers diagnostic inspection with washing when performed. 31623 identifies bronchial brushing, so use it when a brush is used to collect a specimen.
What should the procedure note support?
Document the diagnostic indication, whether a rigid or flexible scope was used, the airway examination and findings, and any washing or other sampling performed.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
When multiple procedures are performed in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for 31622.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 31622 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist