Billing code 31637: Bronchial stentMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Report this add-on when bronchoscopy places a bronchial stent in an additional bronchus beyond the initial bronchus treated during the same procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31637 in Illinois.
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 31637 covers
This add-on describes bronchoscopic placement of a stent in an additional bronchus after the initial bronchus has been treated. Interventional pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons may use it when airway narrowing or obstruction, such as from a tumor or stenosis, involves more than one bronchus. Placement is performed with a rigid or flexible bronchoscope, commonly in a hospital setting.
Report 31637 for each additional bronchus treated, not for each extra stent placed in the same bronchus. The procedure record should identify the bronchus receiving the additional stent and support that placement occurred during the session. Pair it with the primary bronchial stent placement code, 31636, for the initial bronchus. CMS classifies 31637 as an add-on that is billed only with a primary procedure, with payment within that procedure’s global period.
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 31637 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $74.04 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $71.36 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $69.03 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $71.65 |
How the 31637 rate is calculated
Each of 31637’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 · 31637
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.54
1.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.32
0.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.15
0.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.0100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$67.14
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31637
The CMS indicators that decide how 31637 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31637
Bronchial stent
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
31637 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31636Bronchial stent
- 31636 reports bronchial stent placement in the initial bronchus. Use 31637 for each additional bronchus treated in the same procedure.
- 31631Airway stent
- 31631 applies to tracheal stent placement; 31637 applies to stent placement in an additional bronchus after the initial bronchus.
- 31638Airway stent revision
- 31638 is for revision of an existing tracheal or bronchial stent. 31637 reports placement in an additional bronchus.
- 31630Bronchoscopy
- 31630 describes bronchoscopic dilation or closed reduction, while 31637 is for additional bronchial stent placement.
31637 billing questions
When should 31637 be reported instead of 31636?
Use 31636 for the initial bronchus receiving a bronchial stent. Report 31637 for each additional bronchus treated during the procedure.
Does each additional stent require a unit of 31637?
No. The add-on is based on each additional bronchus, not the number of stents placed in the same bronchus.
Can 31637 be billed without 31636?
No. CMS identifies 31637 as an add-on that must be billed with a primary procedure; 31636 is the primary code for initial bronchial stent placement.
What documentation supports reporting an additional unit?
Document the bronchoscopic stent placement and identify each additional bronchus treated beyond the initial bronchus.
Can a modifier make 31637 independently reportable?
No. A modifier does not replace the required primary procedure pairing.
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
Fee sheets
Put 31637 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →