Billing code 31587: Cricoid splitMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports surgical division of the cricoid framework to widen a narrowed airway, commonly for subglottic stenosis, rather than endoscopic lesion treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31587 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 31587 covers
A cricoid split divides the cricoid framework to increase airway caliber, most often to address fixed subglottic narrowing. An otolaryngologist or airway surgeon performs the operation in a surgical setting, commonly for a child with subglottic stenosis. The operative report should establish that the cricoid itself was split, rather than documenting only airway inspection or treatment of a vocal-fold lesion.
Report 31587 when the cricoid split is the laryngoplasty performed; the diagnosis of stenosis alone does not determine code selection. Document the indication, structures altered, and operative work so the procedure can be distinguished from other stenosis repairs. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation, co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
31587 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,045.82 |
How the 31587 rate is calculated
Each of 31587’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 · 31587
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 14.89Practice expense 15.59Malpractice 2.17
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31587
31587 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31587
Cricoid split
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 31587
Cricoid split
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31587 without 51 · national facility
$1,090.54
Cricoid split
31587-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$545.27
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%).
31587 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31587 vs 31551 vs 31554 vs 31592: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31551Laryngoplasty
- 31587 identifies a cricoid split. Use 31551 when the documented service matches its laryngeal stenosis laryngoplasty descriptor instead.
- 31554Laryngoplasty
- Both concern laryngeal airway surgery, but 31587 is specific to splitting the cricoid; select 31554 only when its described stenosis reconstruction was performed.
- 31592Airway resection
- 31592 describes cricotracheal resection, a different operation for airway stenosis. It is not interchangeable with a cricoid split.
31587 billing questions
How is 31587 distinguished from the laryngoplasty codes for laryngeal stenosis?
Use 31587 when the documented operation is a cricoid split. Select a stenosis laryngoplasty code when the procedure performed matches that code’s specific reconstructive service.
Does a diagnosis of subglottic stenosis support 31587 by itself?
No. The operative report should describe the cricoid split and the airway structures treated; the diagnosis alone does not establish that this procedure was performed.
Should modifier 50 be appended for a bilateral case?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same operative session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
When can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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
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