$320.60
Both involve therapeutic injection during direct laryngoscopy. Report 31571 when an operating microscope or telescope is used; report 31570 without that instrumentation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31571 Vocal fold injection Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Reports therapeutic injection into one or both vocal folds during direct laryngoscopy performed with an operating microscope or telescope. Compare 31571 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kentucky.
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 31571 in Kentucky?
Kentucky 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
$203.87
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
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
About 31571: Direct laryngoscopic vocal fold injection
Reports therapeutic injection into one or both vocal folds during direct laryngoscopy performed with an operating microscope or telescope.
An otolaryngologist uses direct laryngoscopy to reach the vocal folds and deliver a therapeutic injection under an operating microscope or telescope. For example, a surgeon may inject a vocal fold scar with medication under magnified visualization. The operative note should identify the treated fold or folds, injected agent, therapeutic indication, and use of the microscope or telescope.
Report 31571 when the direct laryngoscopic injection includes this magnified instrumentation; 31570 describes the related injection without it. Distinguish therapeutic injection from injection intended to augment a vocal fold, which is represented by a different approach and code. The CMS global period is 0 days, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. For bilateral treatment, report the service without modifier 50; the descriptor and anatomy make that modifier inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31571
- 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.15 · 66%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.58 · 25%
- Malpractice RVU0.60 · 9%
5.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1779 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.
31571 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$264.46
31573 uses flexible laryngoscopy for therapeutic injection. 31571 uses direct laryngoscopy with an operating microscope or telescope.
$810.82
31574 describes flexible laryngoscopic injection for vocal fold augmentation. Choose 31571 for direct laryngoscopic therapeutic injection with magnified instrumentation.
Compare 31571 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
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$203.87
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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 31571 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,604
- Code
- 31571
- Physician work
- 4.15
- Practice expense
- 1.58
- Malpractice
- 0.60
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 4.15 | × 1.000 | 4.1500 |
| Practice expense | 1.58 | × 0.889 | 1.4046 |
| Malpractice | 0.60 | × 0.915 | 0.5490 |
| Total RVUs | 6.1036 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Kentucky$203.87
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.15 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.58 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.6 | 0.915 |
(4.15 × 1 + 1.58 × 0.889 + 0.6 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $203.87
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.
31571 billing questions
How does 31571 differ from 31570?
Both describe therapeutic injection during direct laryngoscopy. Choose 31571 when the procedure uses an operating microscope or telescope; 31570 is the related code without that instrumentation.
When is 31573 a better fit?
31573 describes therapeutic injection performed with flexible laryngoscopy. 31571 is for direct laryngoscopy with an operating microscope or telescope.
Is 31571 used for vocal fold augmentation?
Use a code for augmentation when the injection is intended to add bulk or improve closure, rather than for another therapeutic purpose. Code 31574 describes flexible laryngoscopy with injection for augmentation.
Can modifier 50 be reported for injections into both vocal folds?
No. Report the service without modifier 50; the descriptor and anatomy make that modifier inappropriate.
What same-day care and related procedures are included in payment?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
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.
3,60131560,,Laryngoscop w/arytenoidectom,A,,5.31,1.80,NA,1.80,,0.79,7.90,7.90,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60231561,,Larynscop remve cart + scop,A,,5.84,1.93,NA,1.93,,0.85,8.62,8.62,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31526,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,60331570,,Laryngoscope w/vc inj,A,,3.76,5.95,,1.52,,0.60,10.31,5.88,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
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
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631