Billing code 30802: Turbinate ablationMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports submucosal reduction of enlarged inferior turbinate tissue to improve nasal airflow when turbinate hypertrophy contributes to obstruction.
Medicare pays $275.51 for 30802 in the office in Delaware (Delaware). 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 30802 covers
An otolaryngologist reduces tissue beneath the lining of an enlarged inferior turbinate to improve nasal airflow while preserving the surface mucosa. The procedure may use radiofrequency, electrocautery, or another tissue-volume reduction method. It is performed for nasal obstruction associated with inferior turbinate hypertrophy, in an office or outpatient surgical setting.
Choose this code when the treatment is submucosal rather than limited to the turbinate’s surface; document the treated turbinate, technique, and submucosal work. The code is priced for unilateral or bilateral treatment, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and 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.
30802 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $275.51 | $181.46 |
How the 30802 rate is calculated
Each of 30802’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 · 30802
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.03
2.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.02
6.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
8.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$278.56
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 30802
30802 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 30802
Turbinate ablation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 30802
Turbinate ablation
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
30802 without 51 · national office
$278.56
Turbinate ablation
30802-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$139.28
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%).
30802 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 30801Turbinate ablation
- Choose 30801 for superficial ablation of the inferior turbinate. Choose 30802 when the tissue reduction is submucosal.
- 30140Turbinate reduction
- 30140 describes submucous resection of turbinate tissue; 30802 describes submucosal ablation or tissue-volume reduction.
- 30130Turbinate excision
- 30130 is for partial or complete excision of turbinate tissue, not submucosal ablation.
30802 billing questions
How does 30802 differ from 30801?
30802 is for reduction beneath the turbinate lining. Use 30801 when the ablation is confined to the superficial tissue.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral treatment?
No. 30802 is already priced for unilateral or bilateral treatment, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Are postoperative visits separately reportable?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
Can 30802 be reported with septoplasty?
It may be reported with septoplasty when both distinct services are performed in the same session. The standard multiple-procedure reduction applies.
What documentation distinguishes submucosal ablation?
Document inferior turbinate hypertrophy, the treated side or sides, and that tissue reduction was performed beneath the mucosal surface rather than superficially.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 30802; 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
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