Billing code 31785: Tracheal excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports surgical excision of a lesion in the cervical trachea, such as a localized tumor, when treatment requires operative removal rather than bronchoscopic management.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31785 in Georgia.
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 31785 covers
billing code 31785 represents operative removal of a lesion from the cervical portion of the trachea. The lesion may be benign or malignant. An otolaryngologist or thoracic surgeon typically performs the procedure in an operating room, with the removed tissue submitted for pathologic examination. The operative note should establish that the treated site is the cervical trachea and describe the lesion and extent of removal.
Select this code for excision at the cervical site; an intrathoracic tracheal lesion belongs to the neighboring code 31786. Document the operative work clearly enough to distinguish lesion excision from bronchoscopic treatment or tracheal reconstruction. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 31785 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $941.92 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $910.31 |
How the 31785 rate is calculated
Each of 31785’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 · 31785
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.89
17.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.01
7.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.61
2.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
27.5100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$918.86
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31785
31785 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31785
Tracheal excision
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 31785
Tracheal excision
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31785 without 51 · national facility
$918.86
Tracheal excision
31785-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$459.43
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%).
31785 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31786Tracheal lesion excision
- Both codes concern tracheal lesion excision; choose 31785 for a cervical lesion and 31786 for an intrathoracic lesion.
- 31640Bronchoscopic tumor removal
- 31640 describes bronchoscopic tumor removal. Choose 31785 for operative excision of a lesion in the cervical trachea.
- 31780Tracheal reconstruction
- 31780 represents cervical tracheal reconstruction. Use 31785 when the documented service is excision of a cervical tracheal lesion rather than reconstruction.
- 31641Therapeutic bronchoscopy
- 31641 is bronchoscopic destruction of an airway lesion; 31785 is operative excision of a cervical tracheal lesion.
31785 billing questions
How do I choose between 31785 and 31786?
Use 31785 for excision of a cervical tracheal lesion. Code 31786 is for the corresponding intrathoracic site.
When is 31640 a better fit?
Consider 31640 when the surgeon removes an airway tumor bronchoscopically. Code 31785 describes operative excision of a cervical tracheal lesion, not bronchoscopic tumor removal.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral tracheal work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What should the operative report document?
Identify the cervical tracheal site, the lesion, and the extent of excision. The documentation should distinguish the work from bronchoscopic treatment or tracheal reconstruction.
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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