CPT code 31624: Bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report this service when a bronchoscopist instills and retrieves fluid from the lower airways to collect a bronchoalveolar lavage specimen.
Medicare pays $302.48–$377.12 for 31624 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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.
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What 31624 covers
A pulmonologist or other qualified bronchoscopist passes a scope into the airways, instills sterile fluid into a selected lung segment, and suctions it back for testing. The lavage specimen may be sent for microbiology or cytology during evaluation of suspected pulmonary infection or diffuse lung disease. The service is commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory procedure setting as part of diagnostic bronchoscopy.
Select this code when the bronchoscopic sampling method is lavage, rather than airway washing, brushing, or tissue biopsy. The report should identify the procedure and sampled area, and the record should support why lavage was performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 31624 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 payment localities
$302.48 to $377.12
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $303.24 | $122.03 |
| Chico, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| El Centro, CA | $302.52 | $121.31 |
| Fresno, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Hanford, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $322.33 | $126.74 |
| Madera, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Marin County, CA | $369.05 | $135.93 |
| Merced, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Modesto, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Napa, CA | $348.97 | $131.06 |
| Oxnard, CA | $320.69 | $125.27 |
| Redding, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Rest of California | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Riverside, CA | $305.11 | $123.90 |
| Sacramento, CA | $317.02 | $124.73 |
| Salinas, CA | $315.82 | $124.20 |
| San Benito County, CA | $377.12 | $138.70 |
| San Diego, CA | $322.91 | $125.17 |
| San Francisco, CA | $368.78 | $135.65 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $310.77 | $122.45 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $376.00 | $137.59 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $325.76 | $124.88 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $316.91 | $124.13 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $329.03 | $126.00 |
| Stockton, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Vallejo, CA | $348.58 | $130.67 |
| Visalia, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
| Yuba City, CA | $302.48 | $121.27 |
How the 31624 rate is calculated
Each of 31624’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 · 31624
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.56
2.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.77
5.77 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.24
0.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
8.5700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$286.25
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31624
The CMS indicators that decide how 31624 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31624
Bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage
| 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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
31624 without 51 · national office
$286.25
Bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage
31624-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$143.13
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%).
31624 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31622BronchoscopyDiagnostic with washing
- Choose 31624 for bronchoalveolar lavage, with fluid instilled into and retrieved from a lung segment. Choose 31622 for diagnostic bronchoscopy with washing.
- 31623BronchoscopyBrush cytology
- Code 31623 represents specimen collection by bronchoscopic brushing; 31624 represents collection by lavage.
- 31625Bronchoscopy biopsyAirway tissue sampling
- Use 31625 when bronchoscopic forceps sampling obtains tissue for biopsy. Lavage collects fluid for testing and is reported with 31624.
- 31628Lung biopsySingle lobe
- Code 31628 is for bronchoscopic lung biopsy; 31624 is for bronchoalveolar lavage. The method of specimen collection distinguishes them.
31624 billing questions
How is lavage different from a bronchial washing?
Use 31624 for bronchoalveolar lavage, which involves instilling fluid into a lung segment and retrieving it for sampling. Code 31622 describes diagnostic bronchoscopy with washing instead.
Is lavage reported for each segment or saline aliquot?
The service is lavage performed through bronchoscopy, not a separate service for each fluid aliquot. Document the sampled area and procedure performed.
Can lavage be reported with a bronchoscopic biopsy?
A lavage and a biopsy are distinct sampling methods, but related endoscopies performed together are subject to CMS endoscopy-family pricing. The record should support each service reported.
Should modifier 50 be appended for lavage of both lungs?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
Does the code include same-day recovery care?
Yes. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
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