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Billing code 31785: Tracheal excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical excision of a lesion in the cervical trachea, such as a localized tumor, when treatment requires operative removal rather than bronchoscopic management.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities61 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $918.86 for 31785 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 31785

Tracheal excision

Work RVUs
17.89
Total RVUs
27.51
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$918.86

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 31785 →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 31785 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 31785 covers

billing code 31785 represents operative removal of a lesion from the cervical portion of the trachea. The lesion may be benign or malignant. An otolaryngologist or thoracic surgeon typically performs the procedure in an operating room, with the removed tissue submitted for pathologic examination. The operative note should establish that the treated site is the cervical trachea and describe the lesion and extent of removal.

Select this code for excision at the cervical site; an intrathoracic tracheal lesion belongs to the neighboring code 31786. Document the operative work clearly enough to distinguish lesion excision from bronchoscopic treatment or tracheal reconstruction. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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 31785 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

31785 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$851.76
Alaska*Unavailable$1,193.71
ArizonaUnavailable$899.05
ArkansasUnavailable$843.56
AtlantaUnavailable$941.92
AustinUnavailable$923.70
BakersfieldUnavailable$918.60
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$966.17
BeaumontUnavailable$891.60
BrazoriaUnavailable$902.35

31785 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
31785 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 31785 rate is calculated

Each of 31785’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 · 31785

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work17.89

17.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.01

7.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.61

2.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

27.5100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$918.86

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 31785

31785 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 31785

Tracheal excision

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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 · 31785

Tracheal excision

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

31785 without 51 · national facility

$918.86

Tracheal excision

31785-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$459.43

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

31785 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 31785

    Tracheal excision17.89 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 31786

    Tracheal lesion excision24.78 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 31640

    Bronchoscopic tumor removal4.81 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 31780

    Tracheal reconstruction19.34 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 31641

    Therapeutic bronchoscopy4.89 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

31786Tracheal lesion excision
Both codes concern tracheal lesion excision; choose 31785 for a cervical lesion and 31786 for an intrathoracic lesion.
31640Bronchoscopic tumor removal
31640 describes bronchoscopic tumor removal. Choose 31785 for operative excision of a lesion in the cervical trachea.
31780Tracheal reconstruction
31780 represents cervical tracheal reconstruction. Use 31785 when the documented service is excision of a cervical tracheal lesion rather than reconstruction.
31641Therapeutic bronchoscopy
31641 is bronchoscopic destruction of an airway lesion; 31785 is operative excision of a cervical tracheal lesion.

Codes related to 31785

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

Codes related to 31785
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
31786Tracheal lesion excisionCorresponding tracheal lesion excision for the intrathoracic site.No office rate
Used instead
31640Bronchoscopic tumor removalBronchoscopic tumor excision when the airway lesion is treated endoscopically.No office rate
31641Therapeutic bronchoscopyBronchoscopic destruction of an airway lesion rather than operative excision.No office rate
31780Tracheal reconstructionCervical tracheal reconstruction when reconstruction, rather than lesion excision, is the operative service.No office rate
31781Tracheal reconstructionIntrathoracic tracheal reconstruction when that is the operative service.No office rate

31785 billing questions

How do I choose between 31785 and 31786?

Use 31785 for excision of a cervical tracheal lesion. Code 31786 is for the corresponding intrathoracic site.

When is 31640 a better fit?

Consider 31640 when the surgeon removes an airway tumor bronchoscopically. Code 31785 describes operative excision of a cervical tracheal lesion, not bronchoscopic tumor removal.

Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral tracheal work?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What should the operative report document?

Identify the cervical tracheal site, the lesion, and the extent of excision. The documentation should distinguish the work from bronchoscopic treatment or tracheal reconstruction.

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 31785PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,675 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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