Billing code 41530: Tongue base reductionMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports radiofrequency reduction of tongue-base tissue, typically to address retrolingual obstruction in a patient with obstructive sleep apnea.
Medicare pays $1,020.60 for 41530 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 41530 covers
An otolaryngologist delivers radiofrequency energy into one or more areas of the tongue base to reduce tissue volume. The procedure is used for selected patients with obstructive sleep apnea and obstruction behind the tongue, and is generally performed in an operating room or outpatient surgical setting. The code covers treatment of one or more areas during the procedure; it is not a tongue-suspension operation or a palate procedure.
Report the service when the operative record supports radiofrequency reduction at the tongue base, including the treated site and technique. The procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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.
41530 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $1,020.60 | $426.55 |
How the 41530 rate is calculated
Each of 41530’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 · 41530
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.41
3.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense23.64
23.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.48
0.48 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
27.5300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$919.53
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 41530
The CMS indicators that decide how 41530 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 41530
Tongue base reduction
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
41530 without 51 · national office
$919.53
Tongue base reduction
41530-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$459.77
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%).
41530 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 41512Tongue suspension
- Choose 41530 for radiofrequency tissue-volume reduction at the tongue base. Choose 41512 when the surgeon performs tongue suspension instead.
- 42145Palatopharyngoplasty
- billing code 42145 describes palatopharyngoplasty at the palate and pharynx, not radiofrequency reduction of tongue-base tissue.
- 41599Unlisted px tongue flr mouth
- Use 41530 when the performed service matches the listed tongue-base radiofrequency procedure; reserve 41599 for a distinct tongue or floor-of-mouth procedure without a specific code.
41530 billing questions
How does 41530 differ from tongue suspension?
41530 reduces tongue-base tissue with radiofrequency energy. billing code 41512 describes tongue suspension, which supports the tongue through a different surgical method.
Can multiple tongue-base treatment areas be reported as multiple units?
The descriptor includes one or more treated areas in the procedure. Document the areas treated, but do not report separate units solely for multiple areas in the same procedure.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care associated with the procedure.
Can 41530 be reported with palate surgery?
It may be reported with a separately performed palate operation as part of multilevel surgery when each service is documented. When procedures occur in the same session, the multiple-procedure payment reduction applies.
When is an assistant-at-surgery claim payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when the record documents medical necessity. Co-surgeon and team-surgery payment are not permitted for this code.
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
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