CPT code 31527: Therapeutic laryngoscopy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports direct laryngoscopy, with or without tracheoscopy, when the larynx is treated rather than examined solely for diagnosis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31527 in Texas.
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 31527 covers
An otolaryngologist performs direct visualization of the larynx, with tracheoscopy when needed, to carry out treatment. The procedure is generally performed in an operating-room setting, where the clinician can expose the larynx and treat a condition during the same session. The code covers a therapeutic laryngoscopic service; it is not the choice for an examination alone or when a more specific code describes the actual intervention, such as dilation, biopsy, foreign-body removal, or tumor excision.
Report the code when the operative note supports a therapeutic purpose and describes the laryngeal work performed. This is a minor procedure with 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 not appropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 31527 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $167.73 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $161.55 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $163.74 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $165.27 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $165.02 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $164.57 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $172.99 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $162.90 |
How the 31527 rate is calculated
Each of 31527’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 · 31527
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.19
3.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.34
1.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.46
0.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.9900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$166.67
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31527
The CMS indicators that decide how 31527 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31527
Therapeutic 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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) | 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
31527 without 51 · national facility
$166.67
Therapeutic laryngoscopy
31527-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$83.34
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%).
31527 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31525Laryngoscopy
- 31525 describes direct diagnostic examination. This code is for a therapeutic purpose, not visualization alone.
- 31528Laryngoscopy dilation
- 31528 specifically describes laryngoscopic dilation. Use this code only when the treatment is not better represented by that specific dilation service.
- 31535Laryngeal biopsy
- 31535 applies when tissue is obtained by biopsy during direct laryngoscopy. Do not use this code in place of the biopsy service.
- 31540Laryngeal excision
- 31540 describes excision of a laryngeal tumor. Select it when tumor excision, rather than a more general therapeutic laryngoscopy, is performed.
31527 billing questions
When should this be reported instead of a diagnostic laryngoscopy?
Use this code when the direct laryngoscopy is performed for treatment. A direct examination performed only to evaluate the larynx is diagnostic and should be selected from the diagnostic laryngoscopy codes.
Can this code be used when the surgeon performs a more specific laryngeal procedure?
Choose the code that describes the intervention when the session includes a specifically coded service such as dilation, biopsy, foreign-body removal, or tumor excision. The operative note should identify the treatment performed.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for treatment on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so do not append modifier 50.
How are related endoscopies handled when performed in the same session?
Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Review the procedures performed in the session as a related endoscopy group.
What documentation supports assistant-at-surgery payment?
The record must document the medical necessity of the assistant's participation. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code under the CMS rules provided.
What care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. The code does not include a separate global period for later visits.
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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