Billing code 31575: LaryngoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Report this service for a flexible-scope examination of the larynx to evaluate symptoms such as hoarseness, voice change, or swallowing difficulty.
Medicare pays $125.60–$136.87 for 31575 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 31575 covers
An otolaryngologist commonly passes a flexible scope through the nose to inspect the larynx and assess structures such as the vocal folds and their movement. In an office or facility setting, the examination may help evaluate hoarseness, voice change, throat symptoms, or swallowing complaints. This code represents diagnostic visualization, not an examination that includes biopsy, lesion removal, or injection treatment.
Document the reason for the examination, the scope examination performed, structures and findings observed, and relevant vocal fold movement. The service 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% reduction. Do not use modifier 50; CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and 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.
Where 31575 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $136.87 | $63.40 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $125.60 | $59.73 |
How the 31575 rate is calculated
Each of 31575’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 · 31575
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.92Practice expense 2.76Malpractice 0.13
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31575
The CMS indicators that decide how 31575 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31575
Laryngoscopy
| 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
31575 without 51 · national office
$127.26
Laryngoscopy
31575-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$63.63
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%).
31575 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31575 vs 31576 vs 31579 vs 31578 vs 31574: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31576Laryngeal biopsy
- 31575 is diagnostic flexible-scope visualization. Choose 31576 when a biopsy is performed during the laryngoscopy.
- 31579Laryngoscopy
- 31579 includes stroboscopic assessment of vocal fold vibration. Use 31575 for flexible diagnostic examination without that assessment.
- 31578Laryngoscopy
- 31578 describes laryngoscopy with lesion removal; 31575 is for diagnostic examination without removal.
- 31574Vocal fold injection
- 31574 includes vocal fold augmentation injection. 31575 describes diagnostic visualization without the injection treatment.
31575 billing questions
When should 31575 be used instead of 31576?
Use 31575 for flexible-scope diagnostic visualization without biopsy. When the examination includes a biopsy, 31576 describes the biopsy service.
Can 31575 be reported when a lesion is removed?
When the scope examination includes lesion removal, use the code describing that treatment, such as 31578, rather than reporting a diagnostic-only service for the same examination.
What documentation supports 31575?
Record the indication, flexible-scope examination, structures visualized, findings, and relevant vocal fold movement.
Should modifier 50 be appended for both vocal folds?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this service; do not append modifier 50.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in the same session are subject to a 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for 31575. 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
Fee sheets
Put 31575 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →