Billing code 31592: Airway resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Resection of a narrowed cricoid and upper tracheal segment with airway reconstruction, typically for significant laryngotracheal stenosis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31592 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 31592 covers
An otolaryngologist or other airway surgeon removes a narrowed segment involving the cricoid and upper trachea, then reconnects the remaining airway. The operation is used for significant laryngotracheal stenosis, including subglottic narrowing, and is generally performed in a hospital operating room. Patients may have stenosis related to prior airway instrumentation or other causes; the indication and extent of disease are established in the operative record.
Report 31592 when the surgeon performs cricotracheal resection and airway reconstruction, rather than a laryngoplasty that enlarges the airway by another method. Documentation should describe the stenotic location, the resection, the reconstruction, and any other procedures performed. CMS classifies this as major surgery: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this midline operation. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
31592 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,480.03 |
How the 31592 rate is calculated
Each of 31592’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 · 31592
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work24.38
24.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense17.90
17.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.56
3.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
45.8400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,531.10
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31592
31592 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31592
Airway resection
| 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 · 31592
Airway resection
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
31592 without 51 · national facility
$1,531.10
Airway resection
31592-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$765.55
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%).
31592 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31551Laryngoplasty
- 31592 involves removing a stenotic cricotracheal segment and reconstructing the airway. Code 31551 describes laryngoplasty for laryngeal stenosis using a different approach.
- 31552Laryngoplasty
- Choose 31592 when the operation includes cricotracheal resection. Code 31552 describes a laryngoplasty for laryngeal stenosis, not that segmental resection.
- 31587Cricoid split
- Code 31587 describes cricoid split to enlarge the airway; 31592 describes resection of a narrowed cricotracheal segment with reconstruction.
31592 billing questions
How is 31592 distinguished from laryngoplasty codes 31551 and 31552?
Use 31592 for resection of the narrowed cricotracheal segment with airway reconstruction. Codes 31551 and 31552 describe laryngoplasty for laryngeal stenosis, a different reconstructive approach.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?
Yes. Related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
Should modifier 50 be reported?
No. This is a midline airway operation, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How are other procedures paid when performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
What documentation supports assistant or co-surgeon payment?
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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