Billing code 31511: Laryngeal FB removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Removal of a foreign object from the larynx under indirect laryngoscopic visualization when the clinician can reach and extract it without direct operative laryngoscopy.
Medicare pays $208.54 for 31511 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 31511 covers
An otolaryngologist uses indirect laryngoscopic visualization to locate and remove a foreign object lodged in the larynx. The code fits an extraction performed through this indirect approach, rather than removal during direct operative laryngoscopy. It is a focused therapeutic service, not a diagnostic-only examination. Medicare claims for this service in 2024 were reported in facility settings.
Document the laryngeal location of the object, the indirect visualization approach, and the extraction performed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy family pricing applies. A bilateral adjustment is not appropriate. CMS 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.
31511 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $208.54 | $115.48 |
How the 31511 rate is calculated
Each of 31511’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 · 31511
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.11Practice expense 3.90Malpractice 0.30
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31511
The CMS indicators that decide how 31511 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31511
Laryngeal FB removal
| 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31511 without 51 · national office
$210.76
Laryngeal FB removal
31511-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$105.38
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%).
31511 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31511 vs 31530 vs 31531 vs 31505 vs 31512: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31530Laryngoscopy
- Both address laryngeal foreign body removal, but 31511 uses indirect laryngoscopic visualization. Select 31530 for removal by direct laryngoscopy.
- 31531Foreign body removal
- Code 31531 describes direct laryngoscopic removal with an operating microscope; 31511 is for removal using indirect laryngoscopy.
- 31505Laryngoscopy
- Code 31505 is a diagnostic indirect laryngoscopy. Report 31511 when the service includes removal of a laryngeal foreign body.
- 31512Laryngeal lesion removal
- Code 31512 concerns indirect laryngoscopic removal of a lesion. Code 31511 is for removal of a foreign object.
31511 billing questions
How does this differ from code 31530?
Code 31511 describes foreign body removal using indirect laryngoscopic visualization. Code 31530 is the direct laryngoscopy approach for removal.
When should code 31531 be considered instead?
Use 31531 when foreign body removal is performed by direct laryngoscopy with an operating microscope. The indirect approach is the distinguishing feature of 31511.
Can a diagnostic laryngoscopy be reported with the removal?
A separate diagnostic laryngoscopy is not established by the removal service alone. If related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy family pricing applies.
What documentation supports reporting 31511?
Record that a foreign object was present in the larynx, that the clinician used indirect laryngoscopic visualization, and that the object was removed.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
No bilateral adjustment applies, so modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code.
What does the 0-day global period include?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure payment.
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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