$79.19
31505 is for diagnostic indirect laryngoscopy. Choose 31513 when therapeutic vocal-fold injection is performed.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31513 Vocal-fold injection Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports therapeutic injection into a vocal fold under indirect laryngoscopic visualization, commonly to improve glottic closure in vocal-fold paralysis or atrophy. Compare 31513 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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.
What does Medicare pay for 31513 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$104.93
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Otolaryngology
About 31513: Indirect laryngoscopy with vocal-fold injection
Reports therapeutic injection into a vocal fold under indirect laryngoscopic visualization, commonly to improve glottic closure in vocal-fold paralysis or atrophy.
An otolaryngologist uses indirect laryngoscopic visualization while injecting material into a vocal fold to improve closure and voice function. Common clinical reasons include vocal-fold paralysis or atrophy causing glottic insufficiency. The service may be performed in an office or facility; the record should identify the indication, injection site and approach, and the material used when known.
Select this code when the therapeutic injection is performed with an indirect approach, rather than direct laryngoscopy. Document the treatment and visualization performed; diagnostic visualization alone does not support the injection service. The procedure 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 for this code. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31513
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.05 · 60%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.06 · 31%
- Malpractice RVU0.29 · 9%
104
Medicare services in 2024 · #4850 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.
31513 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
$310.82
31570 uses direct laryngoscopy for therapeutic injection; 31513 is the indirect approach.
No office rate
31571 is a direct laryngoscopic injection performed with an operating microscope or telescope; 31513 describes the indirect approach.
Compare 31513 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$104.93
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 31513 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,580
- Code
- 31513
- Physician work
- 2.05
- Practice expense
- 1.06
- Malpractice
- 0.29
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.05 | × 1.000 | 2.0500 |
| Practice expense | 1.06 | × 0.875 | 0.9275 |
| Malpractice | 0.29 | × 0.566 | 0.1641 |
| Total RVUs | 3.1416 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$104.93
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.05 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.06 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.29 | 0.566 |
(2.05 × 1 + 1.06 × 0.875 + 0.29 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $104.93
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.
31513 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 31570?
Use 31513 for vocal-fold injection performed with indirect laryngoscopy. Code 31570 describes injection performed using direct laryngoscopy.
Does bilateral injection require modifier 50?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for its descriptor or anatomy.
What documentation supports reporting the injection?
Document the clinical reason for treatment, the vocal-fold site, the injection performed, and the indirect laryngoscopic visualization and approach.
Can a related endoscopy be separately reported at the same session?
When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy family pricing applies. Report the services performed, with documentation supporting each service.
Is same-day preoperative or postoperative care separately included?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care in the procedure.
What applies if an assistant or another surgeon participates?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. 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.
3,57731510,,Laryngoscopy with biopsy,A,,1.87,4.31,,1.02,,0.26,6.44,3.15,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31505,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,57831511,,Remove foreign body larynx,A,,2.11,3.90,,1.08,,0.30,6.31,3.49,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31505,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,57931512,,Removal of larynx lesion,A,,2.02,4.18,,1.06,,0.29,6.49,3.37,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31505,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58031513,,Injection into vocal cord,A,,2.05,1.06,NA,1.06,,0.29,3.40,3.40,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31505,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58131515,,Laryngoscopy for aspiration,A,,1.76,4.85,,1.02,,0.26,6.87,3.04,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58231520,,Dx laryngoscopy newborn,A,,2.50,1.17,NA,1.17,,0.37,4.04,4.04,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58331525,,Dx laryngoscopy excl nb,A,,2.56,4.58,,1.18,,0.38,7.52,4.12,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515