Billing code 30540: Choanal atresia repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical correction of congenital choanal blockage through an intranasal approach, commonly restoring posterior nasal airflow in an affected infant.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 30540 in Oregon.
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 30540 covers
This operation opens a congenital obstruction at the back of the nasal passage using an intranasal route. Choanal atresia may present in a newborn or infant with impaired nasal breathing or feeding; the surgeon removes or reshapes the obstructing tissue to establish an airway. An otolaryngologist typically performs the repair in an operating room, with the operative report identifying the atresia and documenting the intranasal approach and work performed.
Choose 30540 when the repair is performed intranasally; the transpalatal approach is represented by 30545. The documentation should support the diagnosis, surgical route, and repair rather than a separate procedure for another nasal condition. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
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.
Where 30540 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $709.02 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $659.98 |
How the 30540 rate is calculated
Each of 30540’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 · 30540
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work7.72
7.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.29
11.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.13
1.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.1400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$672.69
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 30540
30540 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 30540
Choanal atresia repair
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 30540
Choanal atresia repair
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
30540 without 51 · national facility
$672.69
Choanal atresia repair
30540-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$336.35
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%).
30540 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 30545Choanal repair
- Both codes address choanal atresia, but 30540 is for an intranasal repair and 30545 is for a transpalatal repair. Follow the documented operative route.
- 30560Nasal adhesion lysis
- 30560 is for releasing intranasal adhesions. It is not the code for repairing congenital blockage of the posterior nasal passage.
- 30520Septoplasty
- 30520 addresses repair of the nasal septum. It does not represent correction of choanal atresia.
30540 billing questions
How do I choose 30540 instead of 30545?
Use 30540 when the choanal atresia repair is performed through an intranasal approach. The transpalatal approach is reported with 30545.
What documentation supports 30540?
The operative report should identify choanal atresia, describe the intranasal route, and document the repair performed to establish the nasal airway.
Can modifier 50 be reported for repair on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 30540; modifier 50 should not be used.
How does CMS pay 30540 with another procedure 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%.
Can an assistant or another surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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