Billing code 41512: Tongue suspensionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports surgical suspension of the tongue base with permanent sutures to address obstructive sleep apnea related to posterior tongue collapse.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 41512 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 41512 covers
An otolaryngologist or another surgeon experienced in sleep surgery performs tongue suspension to reduce posterior movement of the tongue during sleep. The procedure uses permanent sutures to secure the tongue base to a stable anterior anchor, commonly the mandible. It is used for selected patients with obstructive sleep apnea when tongue-base collapse contributes to airway obstruction, often as part of surgery addressing more than one level of the airway. It is generally performed in an operating room under anesthesia.
Report 41512 when the operative record supports the permanent-suture suspension technique, not simply because the patient has sleep apnea or underwent another tongue-base procedure. Document the indication, surgical approach, suture placement, and anchoring details. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 41512 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 | $636.62 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $583.95 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $610.17 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $614.78 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $611.59 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $612.48 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $630.60 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $597.23 |
How the 41512 rate is calculated
Each of 41512’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 · 41512
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.69
6.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.85
10.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.99
0.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.5300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$618.92
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 41512
41512 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 41512
Tongue suspension
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 41512
Tongue suspension
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
41512 without 51 · national facility
$618.92
Tongue suspension
41512-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$309.46
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%).
41512 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 41530Tongue base reduction
- Use 41512 for permanent-suture tongue suspension. Use 41530 when the surgeon reduces tongue-base tissue rather than suspending the tongue.
- 21685Hyoid suspension
- 21685 describes hyoid myotomy and suspension; 41512 suspends the tongue base with permanent sutures. The operative target and technique distinguish them.
- 42145Palatopharyngoplasty
- 42145 addresses the palate and pharyngeal tissues, while 41512 addresses tongue-base movement. Both may be performed in multilevel airway surgery.
41512 billing questions
How is tongue suspension different from tongue-base reduction?
41512 reports permanent-suture suspension that limits posterior tongue movement. 41530 describes tongue-base tissue reduction, a different operative method.
Can tongue suspension be reported with palatopharyngoplasty?
It may be reported with 42145 when both distinct procedures are performed during the same session to address obstruction at different airway levels. Document the work performed for each.
Does the 90-day global period include related postoperative visits?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for tongue suspension?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
Only when medical necessity for the assistant is documented. 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 41512 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 →