31075
No office rateFrontal sinus exploration
Both codes describe frontal sinus exploration. Check the full code descriptions against the documented approach and operative work; the short CMS descriptors are not enough to choose between them.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31070 in Merced
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$462.50
Base rate per service
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
Sinus surgery
About 31070: Frontal sinus surgical exploration
Reports surgical exploration of the frontal sinus to evaluate or treat frontal sinus disease, with the operative approach and work documented in the record.
A surgeon accesses the frontal sinus to inspect its cavity and may remove tissue as part of the exploration. This is distinct from simply irrigating a sinus or examining it with an endoscope through the nasal passage. The service is generally performed by an otolaryngologist in an operating room or other surgical setting for conditions requiring direct surgical access to the frontal sinus.
Report 31070 when the documented operation matches this frontal sinus exploration service; the operative report should identify the sinus, surgical access, findings, and any tissue removal. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. If multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral reporting, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31070
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.29 · 32%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.35 · 63%
- Malpractice RVU0.62 · 5%
31
Medicare services in 2024 · #5639 by national volume
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.
31070 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Merced, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
31276 describes endoscopic frontal sinus surgery through the nasal passage. 31070 is for the separately defined surgical exploration service, not the endoscopic approach.
$458.52
31020 concerns exploration of the maxillary sinus. 31070 concerns the frontal sinus, so the operated sinus determines which code is relevant.
The same code, a different location
How does Merced compare?
31070 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Merced · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Madera
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$530.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$489.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$469.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$483.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$482.07
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$492.37
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$559.65
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$558.95
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$572.32
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$569.44
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$474.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$496.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$483.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$501.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$529.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$462.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$502.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$485.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$472.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$523.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$399.05
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$393.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$431.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$457.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$471.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$438.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$463.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$441.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$451.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$416.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$472.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$406.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$409.67
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$441.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$430.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$467.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$411.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$405.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$410.18
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$429.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$409.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$500.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$455.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$470.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$445.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$412.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$432.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$447.34
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$421.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$436.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$425.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$429.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$403.87
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$398.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$442.85
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$416.73
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$430.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$408.54
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$451.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$497.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$476.29
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$423.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$439.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$522.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$480.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$511.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$422.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$418.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$408.44
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$470.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$435.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$460.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$418.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$445.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$452.59
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$418.59
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$429.15
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$407.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$457.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$416.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$436.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$440.13
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$437.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$438.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$449.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$426.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$424.05
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$432.07
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$445.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$429.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$454.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$416.85
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$415.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 31070
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$437.51
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
31070 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Where does this rate apply?
Merced is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 24 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 31070 in Merced. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$508.75
$462.50 × 110% = $508.75
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 31070 in Merced.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,502
- Code
- 31070
- Physician work
- 4.29
- Practice expense
- 8.35
- Malpractice
- 0.62
GPCI2026.csv
15
- Locality
- Merced
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.536
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 4.29 | × 1.017 | 4.3629 |
| Practice expense | 8.35 | × 1.096 | 9.1516 |
| Malpractice | 0.62 | × 0.536 | 0.3323 |
| Total RVUs | 13.8468 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Merced$462.50
Open 31070 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.29 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 8.35 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 0.62 | 0.536 |
(4.29 × 1.017 + 8.35 × 1.096 + 0.62 × 0.536) × $33.4009 = $462.50
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
31070 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
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
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $462.50 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $462.50 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $462.50 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $462.50 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $483.47 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $483.47 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $483.47 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $483.47 | RVU25A |
31070 billing questions
How does 31070 differ from endoscopic frontal sinus surgery?
Use 31070 for the covered surgical exploration through direct surgical access. Endoscopic frontal sinus work performed through the nasal passage is represented by the appropriate endoscopic sinus code, such as 31276.
How should 31070 be distinguished from 31075?
Both codes concern frontal sinus exploration, so use the full code descriptions and the operative details to select the service that matches the documented approach and work. The short CMS labels alone do not establish the distinction.
What documentation supports reporting 31070?
The operative report should identify the frontal sinus, describe how it was accessed and explored, and record the findings and any tissue removal.
Can modifier 50 be used when both frontal sinuses are explored?
CMS lists this as a bilateral procedure; bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. The operative documentation should support work on both sides.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for 31070?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,49931040,,Exploration behind upper jaw,A,,9.53,10.65,NA,10.65,,1.43,21.61,21.61,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50031050,,Exploration sphenoid sinus,A,,5.24,8.26,NA,8.26,,0.78,14.28,14.28,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50131051,,Sphenoid sinus surgery,A,,7.07,10.90,NA,10.90,,1.05,19.02,19.02,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50231070,,Exploration of frontal sinus,A,,4.29,8.35,NA,8.35,,0.62,13.26,13.26,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50331075,,Exploration of frontal sinus,A,,9.27,11.83,NA,11.83,,1.34,22.44,22.44,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50431080,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,12.42,15.20,NA,15.20,,1.80,29.42,29.42,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50531081,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,13.84,15.54,NA,15.54,,2.02,31.40,31.40,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664
1401112,CA,58,MADERA,1.017,1.096,0.536
1501112,CA,59,MERCED,1.017,1.096,0.536
1601112,CA,60,MODESTO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1701112,CA,51,NAPA,1.063,1.318,0.508
1801182,CA,17,OXNARD-THOUSAND OAKS-VENTURA,1.028,1.182,0.623