Billing code 31623: BronchoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports bronchoscopic collection of airway cells with a brush for cytologic evaluation, such as sampling a suspicious endobronchial area.
Medicare pays $299.73–$325.51 for 31623 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 31623 covers
A pulmonologist or other qualified proceduralist advances a flexible or rigid bronchoscope into the airways and brushes a selected area to collect cells for cytology. The technique may be used when an airway abnormality, including a suspicious lesion, needs cellular evaluation. The brush specimen is distinct from tissue removed with biopsy forceps or fluid collected by washing or lavage.
Report 31623 when brushing is performed, and document the indication, sampled airway location, and collection method in the procedure record. CMS assigns this minor procedure a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. 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.
Where 31623 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $325.51 | $121.41 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $299.73 | $116.76 |
How the 31623 rate is calculated
Each of 31623’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 · 31623
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.56
2.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.27
6.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.24
0.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.0700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$302.95
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31623
The CMS indicators that decide how 31623 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31623
Bronchoscopy
| 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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
31623 without 51 · national office
$302.95
Bronchoscopy
31623-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$151.48
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%).
31623 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31622Bronchoscopy
- Choose 31622 for diagnostic bronchoscopy with or without cell washing. Choose 31623 when a brush is used to collect cells.
- 31624Bronchoscopy
- 31624 represents bronchoscopic lavage, which collects a fluid specimen; 31623 represents cell collection with a brush.
- 31625Bronchoscopy biopsy
- 31625 is used for bronchoscopic biopsy with tissue sampling. Use 31623 for brush-collected cells submitted for cytology.
- 31628Lung biopsy
- 31628 represents transbronchial lung biopsy, not airway brushing. The sampled tissue and collection method distinguish the services.
31623 billing questions
How is brushing different from bronchial washing or lavage?
31623 represents cell collection with a brush. Washing and lavage collect fluid specimens and are represented by 31622 and 31624, respectively.
When should 31625 be considered instead?
Use 31625 when tissue is sampled with biopsy forceps. Brushing collects cells for cytology rather than a tissue specimen.
Can brushing be reported with another bronchoscopy procedure?
The procedure report should identify each technique performed and the sampled site. CMS applies endoscopy family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together.
Should modifier 50 be appended for brushing in both lungs?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to 31623, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure's 0-day global period.
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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