Billing code 31525: LaryngoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports direct examination of the larynx, with or without tracheoscopy, to evaluate a suspected airway or voice disorder in a non-newborn patient.
Medicare pays $237.97 for 31525 in the office in Ohio (Ohio). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 31525 covers
An otolaryngologist uses a laryngoscope to directly inspect the larynx and, when needed, the trachea. The examination can help assess hoarseness, suspected vocal-fold abnormalities, or other laryngeal findings that need direct visualization. It is commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting, often with anesthesia, although the clinical setting depends on the patient and examination plan.
Report this code for a diagnostic direct examination in a patient who is not a newborn. The operative note should identify the indication, the structures examined, and whether tracheoscopy was performed. When the same session includes a separately coded operative laryngeal service, report the code describing that work rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
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.
31525 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $237.97 | $134.28 |
How the 31525 rate is calculated
Each of 31525’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 · 31525
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.56
2.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.58
4.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.38
0.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
7.5200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$251.17
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31525
The CMS indicators that decide how 31525 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31525
Laryngoscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31525 without 51 · national office
$251.17
Laryngoscopy
31525-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$125.59
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
31525 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31505Laryngoscopy
- 31505 is an indirect diagnostic examination; 31525 is direct visualization with a laryngoscope.
- 31520Laryngoscopy
- 31520 is the diagnostic direct laryngoscopy code for a newborn; 31525 is for other patients.
- 31526Diagnostic laryngoscopy
- 31526 adds use of an operating microscope or telescope for the diagnostic direct examination; 31525 is the diagnostic direct examination without that distinction.
- 31535Laryngeal biopsy
- 31535 describes direct laryngoscopy with biopsy. When biopsy is performed, report the biopsy service rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination.
31525 billing questions
How does 31525 differ from 31505?
31525 describes direct laryngoscopy. 31505 is an indirect diagnostic laryngoscopy, so the method of visualization determines which code fits.
When is 31526 more appropriate?
Use 31526 when the diagnostic direct examination is performed with an operating microscope or telescope. 31525 describes the diagnostic examination without that distinguishing equipment.
Can 31525 be reported with a laryngeal biopsy code?
When biopsy or another operative laryngeal service is performed during the same examination, report the code that describes that operative service rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination.
Does 31525 have a global period?
It has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
How does CMS handle 31525 when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
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
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