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Billing code 31084: Frontal sinus surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a frontal sinus operation involving removal, selected when the operative documentation supports this specific procedure rather than exploration alone.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,083.19 for 31084 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 31084

Frontal sinus surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
14.58
Total RVUs
32.43
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,083.19

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 31084 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 31084 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 31084 covers

Code 31084 represents a surgical procedure involving removal in the frontal sinus. Otolaryngologists typically perform this type of operation in an operating room for significant frontal sinus disease or a lesion requiring surgical treatment. The operative report should identify the frontal sinus as the treated site and describe the work performed; do not infer this code from a diagnosis or from sinus access alone.

Select this code by matching the documented procedure and approach to its full billing code definition, especially when distinguishing it from other frontal sinus surgery codes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 31084 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

31084 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$986.68
Alaska*Unavailable$1,328.87
ArizonaUnavailable$1,056.67
ArkansasUnavailable$974.65
AtlantaUnavailable$1,107.35
AustinUnavailable$1,106.51
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,115.03
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,146.17
BeaumontUnavailable$1,030.88
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,066.71

31084 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

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

View every state and territory as a table
31084 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 31084 rate is calculated

Each of 31084’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 · 31084

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 14.58Practice expense 15.72Malpractice 2.13

32.4300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,083.19

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 31084

31084 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 31084

Frontal sinus surgery

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.76/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 31084

Frontal sinus surgery

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

31084 without 50 · national facility

$1,083.19

Frontal sinus surgery

31084-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,624.79

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

31084 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

31084 vs 31070 vs 31075 vs 31080: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 31084
    Frontal sinus surgery · 14.58 wRVU
    —
  • 31070
    Frontal sinus surgery · 4.29 wRVU
    —
  • 31075
    Frontal sinus exploration · 9.27 wRVU
    —
  • 31080
    Frontal sinus surgery · 12.42 wRVU
    —

How to choose

31070Frontal sinus surgery
31070 is a frontal sinus exploration procedure. Report 31084 only when the documented operation meets its removal-procedure definition.
31075Frontal sinus exploration
31075 also describes frontal sinus exploration. The operative work and approach, rather than the diagnosis alone, determine whether 31084 is appropriate.
31080Frontal sinus surgery
Both are frontal sinus removal procedures, but they have distinct billing code definitions. Match the code to the operative technique documented.

Codes related to 31084

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

Codes related to 31084
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
31080Frontal sinus surgeryAnother frontal sinus removal procedure; select based on the exact operative technique documented.No office rate
31081Frontal sinus surgeryRelated frontal sinus removal procedure with a distinct billing code definition.No office rate
31085Frontal sinus surgeryNeighboring frontal sinus removal procedure; compare the documented approach and work.No office rate
31086Frontal sinus surgeryRelated frontal sinus procedure; use the code matching the operative details.No office rate
31087Frontal sinus surgeryAnother code in the frontal sinus removal group, distinguished by its billing code definition.No office rate

31084 billing questions

How is 31084 distinguished from frontal sinus exploration codes?

Use 31084 when the documented operation meets its removal-procedure definition. Codes 31070 and 31075 represent frontal sinus exploration procedures, so access or exploration alone does not establish 31084.

What documentation supports reporting 31084?

The operative report should identify the frontal sinus, describe the removal performed, and document the surgical approach and extent needed to support selection over other frontal sinus procedure codes.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

How is modifier 50 handled for a bilateral procedure?

CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 31084PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,506 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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