CPT code 31571: Vocal fold injection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports therapeutic injection into one or both vocal folds during direct laryngoscopy performed with an operating microscope or telescope.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31571 in Ohio.
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 31571 covers
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.
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 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $207.00 |
How the 31571 rate is calculated
Each of 31571’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 · 31571
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.15
4.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.58
1.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.60
0.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.3300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$211.43
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31571
The CMS indicators that decide how 31571 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31571
Vocal fold injection
| 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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
31571 without 51 · national facility
$211.43
Vocal fold injection
31571-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$105.72
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%).
31571 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31570Vocal fold injection
- Both involve therapeutic injection during direct laryngoscopy. Report 31571 when an operating microscope or telescope is used; report 31570 without that instrumentation.
- 31573Laryngoscopy
- 31573 uses flexible laryngoscopy for therapeutic injection. 31571 uses direct laryngoscopy with an operating microscope or telescope.
- 31574Vocal fold injection
- 31574 describes flexible laryngoscopic injection for vocal fold augmentation. Choose 31571 for direct laryngoscopic therapeutic injection with magnified instrumentation.
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 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
Fee sheets
Put 31571 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →