Billing code 31553: LaryngoplastyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Open airway reconstruction for laryngeal stenosis in a patient younger than 12, reported when the surgeon performs laryngoplasty without placing a graft.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31553 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 31553 covers
An otolaryngologist surgically reconstructs a narrowed laryngeal airway in a child younger than 12, without placing a graft. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room for laryngeal stenosis that requires reconstruction rather than endoscopic dilation alone.
Select this code based on the patient’s age and the operative technique: the patient is younger than 12, and no graft is placed. The operative report should identify the stenosis, the reconstructive work, and whether graft material was used. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. 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.
Where 31553 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,559.86 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,466.03 |
How the 31553 rate is calculated
Each of 31553’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 · 31553
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.45Practice expense 20.33Malpractice 3.12
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31553
31553 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31553
Laryngoplasty
| 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 · 31553
Laryngoplasty
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
31553 without 51 · national facility
$1,499.70
Laryngoplasty
31553-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$749.85
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%).
31553 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31553 vs 31551 vs 31552 vs 31554 vs 31528: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31551Laryngoplasty
- 31551 is the no-graft laryngoplasty code for patients age 12 or older; 31553 is for patients younger than 12.
- 31552Laryngoplasty
- 31552 is for laryngoplasty with a graft in patients age 12 or older. 31553 is for younger patients when no graft is placed.
- 31554Laryngoplasty
- Both codes are for patients younger than 12, but 31554 is used when a graft is placed; 31553 is the no-graft code.
- 31528Laryngoscopy dilation
- 31528 describes laryngoscopic dilation, an endoscopic approach. 31553 is open reconstructive surgery without a graft.
31553 billing questions
What distinguishes 31553 from the other laryngoplasty codes?
This code is for a patient younger than 12 when the surgeon performs laryngoplasty without a graft. The neighboring codes distinguish older patients and procedures that use a graft.
How does 31553 differ from laryngoscopic dilation?
31553 describes open reconstructive surgery for laryngeal stenosis without a graft. Codes 31528 and 31529 describe endoscopic dilation instead.
What documentation supports reporting 31553?
Document the patient’s age, the laryngeal stenosis, the reconstructive work performed, and that no graft was placed.
Can modifier 50 be appended?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service under the CMS bilateral adjustment rule.
What payment rules apply when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90.
When may 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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