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CPT code 31635: Bronchoscopy, foreign body removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in North Carolina

Report this service when a physician uses bronchoscopy to retrieve a foreign object lodged in the trachea or bronchial airway.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality1.9K Medicare services in 2024

In North Carolina, Medicare pays $306.20 for 31635 in the office and $151.63 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

$306.20Office (non-facility)
$151.63Hospital or facility
−5.5%vs the national office rate ($323.99)

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 31635 nationwide

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

We’ll open 31635 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in North Carolina
  2. What 31635 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 31635 covers

A pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon uses a bronchoscope to locate and retrieve an object lodged in the trachea or a bronchus. Typical cases include an aspirated food fragment or another object obstructing the airway. The physician may use retrieval instruments through a flexible or rigid scope, with the approach guided by the object’s location and the patient’s condition. Bronchoscopic foreign body removal is commonly performed in a hospital or other facility setting.

Report 31635 when the bronchoscopic intervention removes a foreign object, and document its airway location, the retrieval performed, and the outcome. The code has 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.

How North Carolina compares for 31635

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 31635 runs from $289.85 in Arkansas to $419.37 in San Benito County, CA. North Carolina pays $306.20. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

31635 in North Carolina vs other payment areas
  1. North Carolina · this page$306.20
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$361.24+$55.04
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$367.09+$60.89
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$350.60+$44.40
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$341.34+$35.14
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$370.67+$64.47
  7. Alaska · Alaska$387.25+$81.05

Other areas in North Carolina first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

31635 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama$293.68$148.72
ArkansasArkansas$289.85$147.54
ArizonaArizona$316.03$155.50
Bakersfield, CACalifornia$340.67$159.10
Chico, CACalifornia$339.57$158.00
El Centro, CACalifornia$339.63$158.06
Fresno, CACalifornia$339.57$158.00
Hanford, CACalifornia$339.57$158.00

31635 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$289.85

$387.25

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
31635 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$387.251
AL$293.681
AR$289.851
AZ$316.031
CA$339.57–$419.3729
CO$335.541
CT$344.201
DC$367.091
DE$320.921
FL$321.20–$350.603
GA$304.62–$329.952
GU$346.431
HI$346.431
IA$299.681
ID$301.591
IL$313.29–$341.344
IN$303.151
KS$298.751
KY$300.681
LA$300.40–$313.782
MA$333.97–$366.172
MD$326.52–$367.093
ME$303.38–$317.752
MI$308.08–$325.212
MN$321.351
MO$295.97–$314.383
MS$292.951
MT$323.961
NC$306.201
ND$316.851
NE$301.051
NH$330.721
NJ$348.07–$363.932
NM$309.741
NV$322.181
NY$310.38–$379.355
OH$306.621
OK$299.831
OR$319.61–$344.972
PA$306.87–$336.542
PR$326.021
RI$331.431
SC$306.931
SD$316.001
TN$300.151
TX$305.07–$334.488
UT$310.721
VA$317.04–$367.092
VI$326.021
VT$316.041
WA$333.20–$372.922
WI$307.241
WV$302.871
WY$320.861

See 31635 in every payment locality

How the 31635 rate is calculated

Each of 31635’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 · 31635

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work3.33

3.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.01

6.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.36

0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

9.7000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$323.99

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

The exact North Carolina inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

3,644

Code
31635
Physician work
3.33
Practice expense
6.01
Malpractice
0.36

GPCI2026.csv

83

Locality
North Carolina
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.933
Malpractice
0.639
Office calculation for 31635 in North Carolina
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work3.33× 1.0003.3300
Practice expense6.01× 0.9335.6073
Malpractice0.36× 0.6390.2300
Total RVUs9.1674
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office rate, North Carolina$306.20

Office: (3.33 × 1 + 6.01 × 0.933 + 0.36 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $306.20

Facility: (3.33 × 1 + 1.05 × 0.933 + 0.36 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $151.63

Open 31635 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 31635

The CMS indicators that decide how 31635 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 31635

Bronchoscopy, foreign body removal

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

31635 without 51 · national office

$323.99

Bronchoscopy, foreign body removal

31635-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$162.00

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%).

When to use modifier 51

Codes related to 31635

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

Codes related to 31635
CodeHow it relatesOffice range, North Carolina
Used instead
31622Bronchoscopy, diagnostic with washingUse for diagnostic bronchoscopic inspection when no foreign object is retrieved.$265.91
31640Bronchoscopic tumor removal, endobronchial excisionUse for bronchoscopic excision of an airway tumor rather than retrieval of a foreign object.No office rate
31641Therapeutic bronchoscopy, tumor destruction or stenosis reliefUse when the bronchoscopic intervention treats stenosis or another obstruction instead of retrieving a foreign object.No office rate

How 31635 has changed in North Carolina

31635 · Office / nonfacility

$306.20

Effective 2026-10-01

The base rate is $38.37 higher than on 2025-10-01, moving from $267.83 to $306.20 (14.3%).

It is unchanged from the immediately preceding available release, effective 2026-07-01.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release

  1. January 1, 2026

    RVU26A

    $267.83changed to$306.20

    • Conversion factor 32.3465 changed to 33.4009
    • Work RVU 3.42 changed to 3.33
    • Practice expense RVU 4.99 changed to 6.01
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.926 changed to 0.933
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.665 changed to 0.639

    Held through RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.

  2. January 1, 2025

    RVU25A

    $275.45changed to$267.83

    • Conversion factor 33.2875 changed to 32.3465
    • Practice expense RVU 4.97 changed to 4.99
    • Malpractice RVU 0.38 changed to 0.36

    Held through RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D.

  3. March 9, 2024

    RVU24AR

    $270.96changed to$275.45

    • Conversion factor 32.7442 changed to 33.2875

    Held through RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D.

  4. January 1, 2024

    RVU24A

    $279.50changed to$270.96

    • Conversion factor 33.8872 changed to 32.7442
    • Practice expense RVU 4.92 changed to 4.97
    • Malpractice RVU 0.36 changed to 0.38
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.927 changed to 0.926
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.742 changed to 0.665

  5. January 1, 2023

    RVU23A

    $289.81changed to$279.50

    • Conversion factor 34.6062 changed to 33.8872
    • Practice expense RVU 5.03 changed to 4.92
    • Malpractice RVU 0.35 changed to 0.36
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.928 changed to 0.927
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.819 changed to 0.742

    Held through RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D.

  6. January 1, 2022

    RVU22A

    $285.77changed to$289.81

    • Conversion factor 34.8931 changed to 34.6062
    • Practice expense RVU 4.84 changed to 5.03
    • Malpractice RVU 0.34 changed to 0.35

    Held through RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D.

  7. January 1, 2021

    RVU21A

    $278.04changed to$285.77

    • Conversion factor 36.0896 changed to 34.8931
    • Practice expense RVU 4.33 changed to 4.84
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.930 changed to 0.928
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.757 changed to 0.819

    Held through RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D.

  8. January 1, 2020

    RVU20A

    $274.95changed to$278.04

    • Conversion factor 36.0391 changed to 36.0896
    • Practice expense RVU 4.26 changed to 4.33
    • Malpractice RVU 0.35 changed to 0.34
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.931 changed to 0.930
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.695 changed to 0.757

    Held through RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D.

  9. January 1, 2019

    RVU19A

    $273.73changed to$274.95

    • Conversion factor 35.9996 changed to 36.0391
    • Practice expense RVU 4.24 changed to 4.26
    • Malpractice RVU 0.34 changed to 0.35

    Held through RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D.

  10. January 1, 2018

    RVU18AR1

    $271.93changed to$273.73

    • Conversion factor 35.8887 changed to 35.9996
    • Practice expense RVU 4.19 changed to 4.24
    • Malpractice RVU 0.35 changed to 0.34
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.732 changed to 0.695

    Held through RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D.

  11. January 1, 2017

    RVU17A

    $337.86changed to$271.93

    • Conversion factor 35.8043 changed to 35.8887
    • Work RVU 3.67 changed to 3.42
    • Practice expense RVU 5.87 changed to 4.19
    • Malpractice RVU 0.40 changed to 0.35
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.930 changed to 0.931
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.768 changed to 0.732

    Held through RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D.

  12. January 1, 2016

    RVU16A

    $340.08changed to$337.86

    • Conversion factor 35.9335 changed to 35.8043
    • Practice expense RVU 5.90 changed to 5.87

    Held through RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D.

  13. July 1, 2015

    RVU15C

    $338.39changed to$340.08

    • Conversion factor 35.7547 changed to 35.9335

    Held through RVU15D.

  14. January 1, 2015

    RVU15A

    $333.86changed to$338.39

    • Conversion factor 35.8228 changed to 35.7547
    • Practice expense RVU 5.79 changed to 5.90
    • Malpractice RVU 0.37 changed to 0.40
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.929 changed to 0.930
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.732 changed to 0.768

    Held through RVU15B.

  15. January 1, 2014

    RVU14A

    $339.41changed to$333.86

    • Conversion factor 34.0230 changed to 35.8228
    • Practice expense RVU 6.51 changed to 5.79
    • Malpractice RVU 0.39 changed to 0.37
    • Practice expense GPCI 0.927 changed to 0.929
    • Malpractice GPCI 0.695 changed to 0.732

    Held through RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D.

  16. January 1, 2013

    RVU13AR

    Earliest loaded release: $339.41

    Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D.

Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01$306.20$151.63RVU26D
2026-07-01$306.20$151.63RVU26C
2026-04-01$306.20$151.63RVU26B
2026-01-01$306.20$151.63RVU26A
2025-10-01$267.83$159.70RVU25D
2025-07-01$267.83$159.70RVU25C
2025-04-01$267.83$159.70RVU25B
2025-01-01$267.83$159.70RVU25A
2024-10-01$275.45$163.87RVU24D
2024-07-01$275.45$163.87RVU24C
2024-04-01$275.45$163.87RVU24B
2024-03-09$275.45$163.87RVU24AR
2024-01-01$270.96$161.19RVU24A
2023-10-01$279.50$166.41RVU23D
2023-07-01$279.50$166.41RVU23C
2023-04-01$279.50$166.41RVU23B
2023-01-01$279.50$166.41RVU23A
2022-10-01$289.81$171.63RVU22D
2022-07-01$289.81$171.63RVU22C
2022-04-01$289.81$171.63RVU22B
2022-01-01$289.81$171.63RVU22A
2021-10-01$285.77$172.44RVU21D
2021-07-01$285.77$172.44RVU21C
2021-04-01$285.77$172.44RVU21B
2021-01-01$285.77$172.44RVU21A
2020-10-01$278.04$176.35RVU20D
2020-07-01$278.04$176.35RVU20C
2020-04-01$278.04$176.35RVU20B
2020-01-01$278.04$176.35RVU20A
2019-10-01$274.95$175.30RVU19D
2019-07-01$274.95$175.30RVU19C
2019-04-01$274.95$175.30RVU19B
2019-01-01$274.95$175.30RVU19A
2018-10-01$273.73$175.20RVU18D
2018-07-01$273.73$175.20RVU18C
2018-04-01$273.73$175.20RVU18B
2018-01-01$273.73$175.20RVU18AR1
2017-10-01$271.93$175.37RVU17D
2017-07-01$271.93$175.37RVU17C
2017-04-01$271.93$175.37RVU17B
2017-01-01$271.93$175.37RVU17A
2016-10-01$337.86$188.02RVU16D
2016-07-01$337.86$188.02RVU16C
2016-04-01$337.86$188.02RVU16B
2016-01-01$337.86$188.02RVU16A
2015-10-01$340.08$189.03RVU15D
2015-07-01$340.08$189.03RVU15C
2015-04-01$338.39$188.09RVU15B
2015-01-01$338.39$188.09RVU15A
2014-10-01$333.86$187.43RVU14D
2014-07-01$333.86$187.43RVU14C
2014-04-01$333.86$187.43RVU14B
2014-01-01$333.86$187.43RVU14A
2013-10-01$339.41$182.66RVU13D
2013-07-01$339.41$182.66RVU13C
2013-04-01$339.41$182.66RVU13B
2013-01-01$339.41$182.66RVU13AR

Price 31635 for an earlier date of service

Where the North Carolina rate applies

North Carolina is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 785 cities and communities in North Carolina. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Aberdeen
  • Advance
  • Ahoskie
  • Alamance
  • Albemarle
  • Alexis
  • Alliance
  • Altamahaw

Browse all communities in North Carolina

31635 billing questions

How is 31635 different from diagnostic bronchoscopy 31622?

Use 31635 when the bronchoscopy includes retrieval of a foreign object. Use 31622 when the service is diagnostic inspection rather than foreign body removal.

Can diagnostic bronchoscopy be reported with 31635?

The diagnostic inspection is part of the bronchoscopic removal service when performed as part of the same procedure. Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.

Which modifier applies for removal from both lungs?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for 31635. The code’s descriptor or anatomy makes a bilateral adjustment inapplicable.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 31635. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this service.

What documentation supports reporting 31635?

Document the foreign object, its location in the trachea or bronchial airway, the bronchoscopic retrieval performed, and the result.

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
RVUs for 31635PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,644 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for North CarolinaGPCI2026.csv, line 83 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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