Billing code 31528: Laryngoscopy dilationMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports direct laryngeal visualization with an initial dilation to widen a narrowed area, such as stenosis, during an operative treatment session.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31528 in Florida.
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 31528 covers
An otolaryngologist uses a laryngoscope to view the larynx directly while widening a narrowed area. The procedure is commonly performed in an operating room, often under general anesthesia, for problems such as scar-related laryngeal narrowing or stenosis that restricts the airway. The operative note should identify the treated narrowing and describe the dilation performed under direct visualization.
Select this code for the initial dilation service; code 31529 represents a subsequent dilation service. The documentation should establish the treatment purpose and the sequence of the dilation, rather than describing diagnostic inspection alone. CMS assigns 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 service. An assistant at surgery is payable only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
Where 31528 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $134.83 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $144.27 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $129.21 |
How the 31528 rate is calculated
Each of 31528’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 · 31528
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.31Practice expense 1.08Malpractice 0.35
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31528
The CMS indicators that decide how 31528 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31528
Laryngoscopy 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
31528 without 51 · national facility
$124.92
Laryngoscopy dilation
31528-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$62.46
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%).
31528 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31528 vs 31529 vs 31525 vs 31551: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31529Laryngeal dilation
- Use 31528 for the initial dilation service and 31529 for a subsequent dilation service, as supported by the operative record.
- 31525Laryngoscopy
- Code 31525 describes diagnostic direct laryngoscopy; 31528 is appropriate when the laryngoscopy includes therapeutic dilation.
- 31551Laryngoplasty
- Code 31551 represents a laryngoplasty approach for laryngeal stenosis. Code 31528 is for endoscopic dilation rather than that reconstructive approach.
31528 billing questions
How does this differ from code 31529?
Code 31528 represents the initial dilation service; 31529 represents a subsequent dilation service. The operative documentation should support which stage of dilation was performed.
Can diagnostic laryngoscopy be reported separately?
The direct visualization needed to perform the dilation is part of the therapeutic work. Do not assume that a separate diagnostic laryngoscopy is reportable for the same operative inspection.
Can modifier 50 be used for dilation on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
Only when the record documents medical necessity for the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this service.
What care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
What happens when related endoscopies are performed together?
CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. The operative record should identify the procedures performed.
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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