No office rate
Both codes describe frontal sinus obliteration with an osteoplastic flap. 31080 uses a coronal incision; 31081 uses a brow incision.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31081 Frontal sinus surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Kansas
Reports frontal sinus obliteration through an osteoplastic flap raised by a brow incision, typically for selected cases of persistent frontal sinus disease. Compare 31081 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kansas.
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 31081 in Kansas?
Kansas 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$965.49
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kansas
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.
Sinus surgery
About 31081: Frontal sinus obliteration via brow incision
Reports frontal sinus obliteration through an osteoplastic flap raised by a brow incision, typically for selected cases of persistent frontal sinus disease.
The surgeon accesses the frontal sinus through a brow incision and raises an osteoplastic flap to enter the sinus. The operation removes sinus lining and obliterates the cavity, rather than simply opening the sinus for drainage. Otolaryngologists typically perform it in an operating room for selected patients with persistent frontal sinus disease, including certain mucoceles or disease that has not been managed by less extensive sinus surgery.
Report this code when the operative report supports an obliterative procedure using an osteoplastic flap through a brow incision. Document the indication, surgical approach, flap, removal of sinus lining, and obliteration; a routine endoscopic frontal sinusotomy or exploration is not this service. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31081
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU13.84 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU15.54 · 49%
- Malpractice RVU2.02 · 6%
20
Medicare services in 2024 · #5913 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.
31081 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kansas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Both involve a brow incision, but 31081 includes obliteration with an osteoplastic flap. Use 31085 for the non-obliterative frontal sinusotomy described by that code.
No office rate
31070 is for frontal sinus exploration. 31081 requires the more extensive obliterative procedure through an osteoplastic flap and brow incision.
Compare 31081 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
Kansas →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$965.49
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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 31081 in Kansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,505
- Code
- 31081
- Physician work
- 13.84
- Practice expense
- 15.54
- Malpractice
- 2.02
GPCI2026.csv
54
- Locality
- Kansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.904
- Malpractice
- 0.504
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 13.84 | × 1.000 | 13.8400 |
| Practice expense | 15.54 | × 0.904 | 14.0482 |
| Malpractice | 2.02 | × 0.504 | 1.0181 |
| Total RVUs | 28.9062 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Kansas$965.49
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 13.84 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 15.54 | 0.904 |
| Malpractice | 2.02 | 0.504 |
(13.84 × 1 + 15.54 × 0.904 + 2.02 × 0.504) × $33.4009 = $965.49
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.
31081 billing questions
How does 31081 differ from 31085?
31081 describes frontal sinus obliteration using an osteoplastic flap through a brow incision. 31085 is a frontal sinusotomy through a brow incision with or without tissue removal, without the obliteration defining 31081.
Does an endoscopic frontal sinusotomy qualify?
No. This code is for the obliterative osteoplastic-flap operation through a brow incision, not an endoscopic opening of the frontal sinus.
What should the operative report document?
Document the brow incision, osteoplastic flap, work inside the frontal sinus, and obliteration of the sinus cavity, along with the clinical indication.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
For bilateral performance, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Are assistant surgeons and co-surgeons payable?
Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is submitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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.
3,50231070,,Exploration of frontal sinus,A,,4.29,8.35,NA,8.35,,0.62,13.26,13.26,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50331075,,Exploration of frontal sinus,A,,9.27,11.83,NA,11.83,,1.34,22.44,22.44,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50431080,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,12.42,15.20,NA,15.20,,1.80,29.42,29.42,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50531081,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,13.84,15.54,NA,15.54,,2.02,31.40,31.40,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50631084,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,14.58,15.72,NA,15.72,,2.13,32.43,32.43,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50731085,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,15.25,15.89,NA,15.89,,2.21,33.35,33.35,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,50831086,,Removal of frontal sinus,A,,14.00,15.58,NA,15.58,,2.05,31.63,31.63,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958