$315.39
This code uses flexible laryngoscopy for vocal fold augmentation. Code 31570 uses direct laryngoscopy with injection.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31574 Vocal fold injection Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
A laryngologist uses flexible endoscopic guidance to inject augmentation material into one vocal fold, commonly to improve glottic closure and voice. Compare 31574 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 31574 in Iowa?
Iowa has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$825.67
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$118.77
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Laryngology procedure
About 31574: Flexible laryngoscopy with vocal fold augmentation
A laryngologist uses flexible endoscopic guidance to inject augmentation material into one vocal fold, commonly to improve glottic closure and voice.
An otolaryngologist or laryngologist passes a flexible laryngoscope to visualize the vocal folds and injects material to add bulk to one fold. This is commonly performed for glottic insufficiency, such as when vocal fold paralysis, paresis, or atrophy leaves an incomplete closure affecting voice or airway protection. The procedure may be performed in an office or facility, using an approach such as transoral or percutaneous injection.
Report this code for augmentation of one vocal fold under flexible endoscopic guidance, not for a diagnostic examination alone or an injection with a different therapeutic purpose. The record should identify the treated side, indication, injection approach, and augmentation performed. For bilateral treatment, CMS pays with modifier 50 at 150%. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31574
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.37 · 9%
- Practice expense (office) RVU24.27 · 90%
- Malpractice RVU0.36 · 1%
4.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1953 by national volume
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.
31574 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code is performed with flexible endoscopic guidance. Code 31571 uses direct laryngoscopy with injection and optical magnification.
$263.33
Choose this code for augmentation intended to add vocal fold bulk. Code 31573 is for flexible laryngoscopy with a therapeutic injection, such as chemodenervation.
No office rate
This code describes injection augmentation under flexible endoscopic guidance. Code 31591 describes medialization laryngoplasty, a surgical procedure rather than an injection.
Compare 31574 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
$825.67
Facility
$118.77
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 31574 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,607
- Code
- 31574
- Physician work
- 2.37
- Practice expense
- 24.27
- Malpractice
- 0.36
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.37 | × 1.000 | 2.3700 |
| Practice expense | 24.27 | × 0.915 | 22.2070 |
| Malpractice | 0.36 | × 0.397 | 0.1429 |
| Total RVUs | 24.7200 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$825.67
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.37 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 24.27 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.36 | 0.397 |
(2.37 × 1 + 24.27 × 0.915 + 0.36 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $825.67
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.37 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.14 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.36 | 0.397 |
(2.37 × 1 + 1.14 × 0.915 + 0.36 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $118.77
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
31574 billing questions
When is this code appropriate instead of 31573?
Use this code for injection intended to augment a vocal fold, typically to improve closure. Code 31573 describes flexible laryngoscopy with a therapeutic injection, such as chemodenervation, rather than augmentation.
How should bilateral vocal fold augmentation be reported?
Report the bilateral procedure with modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can a diagnostic laryngoscopy be billed separately during the injection?
The flexible scope is used to guide the augmentation procedure. Do not separately report a diagnostic scope for the same examination work.
What documentation supports the service?
Document the indication for augmentation, the vocal fold treated, the flexible endoscopic guidance, and the injection approach and service performed.
How does the global period affect same-day care?
This procedure has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,60431571,,Laryngoscop w/vc inj + scope,A,,4.15,1.58,NA,1.58,,0.60,6.33,6.33,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31526,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60531572,,Largsc w/laser dstrj les,A,,2.93,11.96,,1.28,,0.43,15.32,4.64,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,31575,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60631573,,Largsc w/ther injection,A,,2.37,5.87,,1.13,,0.36,8.60,3.86,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,31575,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60731574,,Largsc w/njx augmentation,A,,2.37,24.27,,1.14,,0.36,27.00,3.87,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,31575,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60831575,,Diagnostic laryngoscopy,A,,0.92,2.76,,0.78,,0.13,3.81,1.83,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60931576,,Laryngoscopy with biopsy,A,,1.84,5.94,,1.01,,0.26,8.04,3.11,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31575,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,61031577,,Largsc w/rmvl foreign bdy(s),A,,2.14,5.87,,1.08,,0.34,8.35,3.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31575,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136