Billing code 31529: Laryngeal dilationMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Direct laryngoscopy with dilation treats persistent or recurrent laryngeal narrowing during a subsequent procedure in a dilation series.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31529 in Delaware.
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 31529 covers
An otolaryngologist uses direct laryngoscopy to examine the larynx and dilate a narrowed area, commonly for persistent or recurrent stenosis after an earlier dilation. The service is typically performed in an operating room, often under general anesthesia. This code identifies a subsequent dilation procedure in the treatment series, rather than the initial dilation represented by its sibling code.
Report the subsequent-service code when the operative record supports that the patient is returning for another dilation procedure; document the laryngeal finding, dilation performed, and relevant prior treatment. The procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care are included. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
31529 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $136.64 |
How the 31529 rate is calculated
Each of 31529’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 · 31529
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.61Practice expense 1.14Malpractice 0.38
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31529
The CMS indicators that decide how 31529 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31529
Laryngeal dilation
| 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) | 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
31529 without 51 · national facility
$137.95
Laryngeal dilation
31529-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$68.98
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%).
31529 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31529 vs 31528 vs 31525 vs 31551: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31528Laryngoscopy dilation
- 31528 identifies the initial laryngeal dilation in a treatment series; 31529 identifies a subsequent dilation procedure.
- 31525Laryngoscopy
- 31525 is diagnostic laryngoscopy. Choose 31529 when direct laryngoscopy includes therapeutic dilation of laryngeal narrowing.
- 31551Laryngoplasty
- 31551 is laryngoplasty for laryngeal stenosis, a reconstructive procedure; 31529 is endoscopic dilation.
31529 billing questions
How does this code differ from 31528?
31529 is for a subsequent laryngeal dilation procedure in a treatment series. Use 31528 for the initial dilation.
Does a second dilation during the same operation make this the subsequent code?
No. The distinction is between the initial and a subsequent procedure in the treatment series, not the number of dilation maneuvers during one operation.
Can diagnostic laryngoscopy be separately reported with the dilation?
The laryngoscopic visualization used to perform the dilation is part of the service. Do not separately report a diagnostic laryngoscopy for that same operative inspection.
Should modifier 50 be appended for dilation on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What documentation supports reporting a subsequent dilation?
Document the laryngeal narrowing, the direct laryngoscopy and dilation performed, and the prior treatment supporting that this is a subsequent procedure in the series.
When may an assistant-at-surgery be paid?
Only when the record documents medical necessity for the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment 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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