$279.61
31572 uses laser energy to destroy a lesion through a flexible scope. 31578 is for flexible-scope lesion removal without laser destruction.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31572 Laser laryngoscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Flexible laryngoscopic laser ablation treats visible laryngeal lesions, often recurrent vocal fold papillomas, when the clinician destroys tissue through an endoscope rather than excising it. Compare 31572 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 31572 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
$466.14
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$149.01
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.
Otolaryngology
About 31572: Flexible laryngoscopic laser lesion ablation
Flexible laryngoscopic laser ablation treats visible laryngeal lesions, often recurrent vocal fold papillomas, when the clinician destroys tissue through an endoscope rather than excising it.
An otolaryngologist advances a flexible endoscope to view the larynx and directs laser energy to ablate a lesion rather than remove it as an excisional specimen. A common setting is office-based treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis affecting the vocal folds; selected laryngeal lesions may also be treated this way. The procedure differs from diagnostic flexible examination, tissue biopsy, injection, or non-laser lesion removal.
Report 31572 for the flexible endoscopic laser treatment, with the operative note identifying the lesion and site, the laser destruction performed, and any treated side. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31572
- 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 RVU2.93 · 19%
- Practice expense (office) RVU11.96 · 78%
- Malpractice RVU0.43 · 3%
1.2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2855 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.
31572 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$245.78
31576 is selected when a flexible-scope biopsy obtains tissue for examination. Choose 31572 when the documented treatment is laser destruction of the lesion.
$264.46
31573 covers therapeutic injection through a flexible scope. It is not the laser ablation service described by 31572.
$810.82
31574 describes flexible-scope injection to augment vocal fold bulk. 31572 treats a lesion with laser energy.
Compare 31572 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
$466.14
Facility
$149.01
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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 31572 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,605
- Code
- 31572
- Physician work
- 2.93
- Practice expense
- 11.96
- Malpractice
- 0.43
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.93 | × 1.000 | 2.9300 |
| Practice expense | 11.96 | × 0.889 | 10.6324 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | × 0.915 | 0.3935 |
| Total RVUs | 13.9559 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kentucky$466.14
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.93 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 11.96 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | 0.915 |
(2.93 × 1 + 11.96 × 0.889 + 0.43 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $466.14
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.93 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.28 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | 0.915 |
(2.93 × 1 + 1.28 × 0.889 + 0.43 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $149.01
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.
31572 billing questions
How is 31572 different from flexible laryngoscopy with lesion removal?
Use 31572 when laser energy destroys the lesion through a flexible scope. Code 31578 describes flexible-scope lesion removal by a non-laser approach.
Can a diagnostic flexible laryngoscopy be reported with 31572?
The flexible visualization used to locate and treat the lesion is part of the laser service. If related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies.
How should bilateral laser treatment be reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral treatment; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What documentation supports 31572?
Document the lesion and laryngeal site, flexible endoscopic approach, laser destruction performed, and laterality when applicable.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery 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.
3,60231561,,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
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
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