Billing code 31760: TracheoplastyMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports operative repair or reconstruction of the trachea within the chest, such as treatment of intrathoracic tracheal stenosis or injury.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31760 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 31760 covers
A thoracic surgeon uses this service to repair or reconstruct the portion of the trachea located within the chest. A typical clinical setting is an operating room where the surgeon addresses intrathoracic narrowing or structural damage that requires operative reconstruction. The target is the trachea, not the cervical segment or the carina itself.
Choose the code from the operative anatomy and work performed, distinguishing intrathoracic tracheoplasty from cervical tracheoplasty and reconstruction centered on the carina or a bronchus. The operative report should identify the treated segment, the condition, and the reconstructive work. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 31760 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 | $1,314.35 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,268.19 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,274.64 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,292.17 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,291.09 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,284.57 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,389.82 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,277.14 |
How the 31760 rate is calculated
Each of 31760’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 · 31760
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work22.89
22.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.70
10.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.75
5.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
39.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,313.99
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31760
31760 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31760
Tracheoplasty
| 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) | 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 · 31760
Tracheoplasty
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
31760 without 51 · national facility
$1,313.99
Tracheoplasty
31760-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$657.00
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%).
31760 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31750Tracheoplasty
- 31750 is for the cervical trachea; 31760 is for the portion within the chest.
- 31766Airway reconstruction
- 31766 addresses reconstruction at the carina, where the trachea divides into the main bronchi. Use 31760 for reconstruction of the intrathoracic trachea away from that focus.
- 31775Bronchial reconstruction
- 31775 concerns bronchial reconstruction, while 31760 concerns the intrathoracic trachea. The operative report's target anatomy distinguishes them.
31760 billing questions
How do I distinguish this from cervical tracheoplasty?
Use 31760 when the reconstructed tracheal segment is intrathoracic. The cervical location points to 31750.
When is carinal reconstruction the better code?
Use the carinal reconstruction code when the operative reconstruction is centered on the tracheal bifurcation, rather than the intrathoracic trachea.
What documentation supports 31760?
The operative report should state the tracheal segment's intrathoracic location, the condition being treated, and the repair or reconstruction performed.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple procedure reduction to the other procedures.
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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