Billing code 31717: Bronchial brushingMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports collection of bronchial cells or material with a brush for diagnostic examination, typically during evaluation of a suspected airway or lung abnormality.
Medicare pays $286.53 for 31717 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 31717 covers
A clinician passes a sampling brush into a bronchus to collect cells or other material for diagnostic evaluation. Pulmonologists and other clinicians performing airway procedures may use this technique when imaging, symptoms, or prior findings warrant analysis of a bronchial abnormality. The specimen is sent for appropriate laboratory examination; this is brush-based sampling rather than forceps removal of a tissue fragment.
Report the service when the record supports bronchial brush sampling, including the clinical indication, sampled airway or target, technique, and specimen disposition. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery 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.
31717 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $286.53 | $94.72 |
How the 31717 rate is calculated
Each of 31717’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 · 31717
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.07Practice expense 6.93Malpractice 0.18
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31717
The CMS indicators that decide how 31717 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31717
Bronchial brushing
| 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
31717 without 51 · national office
$306.62
Bronchial brushing
31717-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$153.31
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%).
31717 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31717 vs 31623 vs 31625 vs 31624: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31623Bronchoscopy
- 31623 describes bronchoscopy with brushing or protected brushings. Compare the documented procedure and coding guidance; do not report both for the same brush sampling.
- 31625Bronchoscopy biopsy
- 31625 is used for bronchoscopic biopsy with tissue sampling. Choose 31717 when the documented specimen was obtained by brush rather than a forceps biopsy.
- 31624Bronchoscopy
- 31624 describes bronchoscopic lavage, which collects material by washing the airway. 31717 is for material collected with a brush.
31717 billing questions
How does brush sampling differ from a bronchial forceps biopsy?
Brush sampling collects cells or material with a brush. A forceps biopsy removes a tissue fragment; use the code that matches the documented sampling technique.
Is this the same as bronchoscopy with brushing?
billing code 31623 describes bronchoscopy with brushing or protected brushings. Check the documented service and applicable coding guidance before choosing between it and 31717; do not report both for the same brush sampling.
What documentation supports reporting 31717?
Document the reason for sampling, the bronchial target, the use of a brush, and what specimen was collected or submitted.
Can modifier 50 be used for sampling both lungs?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
How are same-session procedures affected by the multiple-procedure rule?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and 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 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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