Billing code 31526: Diagnostic laryngoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports direct examination of the larynx using an operating microscope or telescope when magnified visualization is needed for diagnostic evaluation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31526 in Utah.
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 31526 covers
An otolaryngologist passes a laryngoscope through the mouth to examine the larynx directly, using an operating microscope or telescope for magnified visualization. The examination may help evaluate persistent hoarseness, a suspected vocal fold abnormality, or another laryngeal finding. It is commonly performed in an operating room, often under general anesthesia, when an office examination cannot provide the needed view or assessment.
Report 31526 when the service is diagnostic and the documented technique uses the operating microscope or telescope. Documentation should identify the reason for the examination, the structures assessed, and the findings. When tissue sampling or treatment is performed, select the applicable operative laryngoscopy code rather than reporting this diagnostic service separately. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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.
31526 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $131.67 |
How the 31526 rate is calculated
Each of 31526’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 · 31526
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.51
2.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.17
1.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.37
0.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.0500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$135.27
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31526
The CMS indicators that decide how 31526 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 31526
Diagnostic 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
31526 without 51 · national facility
$135.27
Diagnostic laryngoscopy
31526-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$67.64
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%).
31526 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 31525Laryngoscopy
- 31525 is direct diagnostic laryngoscopy without the specific operating microscope or telescope technique. Choose 31526 when that optical technique is documented.
- 31536Laryngeal biopsy
- 31536 includes biopsy during direct laryngoscopy with an operating microscope or telescope. Use it when tissue is sampled rather than reporting a diagnostic-only examination.
- 31535Laryngeal biopsy
- 31535 describes direct laryngoscopy with biopsy without the specified microscope-or-telescope technique. 31526 is diagnostic-only and requires that technique.
- 31520Laryngoscopy
- 31520 is the direct diagnostic laryngoscopy code for a newborn; 31526 is not the newborn-specific code.
31526 billing questions
How does 31526 differ from 31525?
Both describe direct diagnostic laryngoscopy, but 31526 specifies use of an operating microscope or telescope. Use 31525 when that magnified optical technique is not documented.
Can 31526 be reported with a laryngeal biopsy?
When biopsy is performed during the laryngoscopy, report the applicable biopsy code, such as 31536 when an operating microscope or telescope is used. Do not separately report the diagnostic examination for the same operative work.
What documentation supports 31526?
Document the diagnostic reason, direct examination of the larynx, use of an operating microscope or telescope, and relevant findings. The record should distinguish the examination from any biopsy or treatment performed.
Does modifier 50 apply when both sides of the larynx are examined?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not used for examining both vocal folds.
How are same-day services and surgical assistance handled?
The code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. CMS does not pay for an assistant at surgery, co-surgeons, or team surgery for this service.
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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