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Billing code 41512: Tongue suspensionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical suspension of the tongue base with permanent sutures to address obstructive sleep apnea related to posterior tongue collapse.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $618.92 for 41512 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 41512

Tongue suspension

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.69
Total RVUs
18.53
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$618.92

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 41512 → · 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 41512 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 41512 covers

An otolaryngologist or another surgeon experienced in sleep surgery performs tongue suspension to reduce posterior movement of the tongue during sleep. The procedure uses permanent sutures to secure the tongue base to a stable anterior anchor, commonly the mandible. It is used for selected patients with obstructive sleep apnea when tongue-base collapse contributes to airway obstruction, often as part of surgery addressing more than one level of the airway. It is generally performed in an operating room under anesthesia.

Report 41512 when the operative record supports the permanent-suture suspension technique, not simply because the patient has sleep apnea or underwent another tongue-base procedure. Document the indication, surgical approach, suture placement, and anchoring details. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 41512 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

41512 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$559.27
Alaska*Unavailable$739.35
ArizonaUnavailable$602.92
ArkansasUnavailable$551.78
AtlantaUnavailable$632.03
AustinUnavailable$636.62
BakersfieldUnavailable$645.03
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$656.79
BeaumontUnavailable$583.95
BrazoriaUnavailable$610.17

41512 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
41512 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 41512 rate is calculated

Each of 41512’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 · 41512

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.69Practice expense 10.85Malpractice 0.99

18.5300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$618.92

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 41512

41512 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 41512

Tongue suspension

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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 41512

Tongue suspension

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

41512 without 51 · national facility

$618.92

Tongue suspension

41512-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$309.46

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

41512 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

41512 vs 41530 vs 21685 vs 42145: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 41512
    Tongue suspension · 6.69 wRVU
    —
  • 41530
    Tongue base reduction · 3.41 wRVU
    $919.53
  • 21685
    Hyoid suspension · 14.88 wRVU
    —
  • 42145
    Palatopharyngoplasty · 9.54 wRVU
    —

How to choose

41530Tongue base reduction
Use 41512 for permanent-suture tongue suspension. Use 41530 when the surgeon reduces tongue-base tissue rather than suspending the tongue.
21685Hyoid suspension
21685 describes hyoid myotomy and suspension; 41512 suspends the tongue base with permanent sutures. The operative target and technique distinguish them.
42145Palatopharyngoplasty
42145 addresses the palate and pharyngeal tissues, while 41512 addresses tongue-base movement. Both may be performed in multilevel airway surgery.

Codes related to 41512

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

Codes related to 41512
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
41530Tongue base reductionTongue-base tissue reduction is a different surgical approach to tongue-related airway obstruction.$800.42–$1,273.62
Often billed with
42145PalatopharyngoplastyPalatopharyngoplasty may accompany tongue suspension in multilevel obstructive sleep apnea surgery.No office rate
21685Hyoid suspensionHyoid suspension may be performed with tongue suspension when surgery addresses multiple airway levels.No office rate

41512 billing questions

How is tongue suspension different from tongue-base reduction?

41512 reports permanent-suture suspension that limits posterior tongue movement. 41530 describes tongue-base tissue reduction, a different operative method.

Can tongue suspension be reported with palatopharyngoplasty?

It may be reported with 42145 when both distinct procedures are performed during the same session to address obstruction at different airway levels. Document the work performed for each.

Does the 90-day global period include related postoperative visits?

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

Can modifier 50 be used for tongue suspension?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?

Only when medical necessity for the assistant is documented. 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 41512PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,934 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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