$1,379.19
Use 31653 when EBUS-guided sampling covers three or more mediastinal or hilar stations or structures; 31652 covers one or two.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31652 EBUS node sampling Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound-guided needle sampling of one or two mediastinal or hilar lymph node stations or structures. Compare 31652 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 31652 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$1336.36
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$190.59
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Pulmonary procedures
About 31652: EBUS-guided sampling of one or two node stations
Reports bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound-guided needle sampling of one or two mediastinal or hilar lymph node stations or structures.
A pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon uses a bronchoscope with endobronchial ultrasound to locate mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes or other structures and guide needle sampling. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital or outpatient endoscopy setting when evaluating suspected lung cancer, enlarged nodes, or other disease requiring tissue diagnosis. The ultrasound-guided sampling of one or two stations is reported with this code, whether one or multiple passes or specimens are taken from those stations.
Document the EBUS-guided targets and the number of distinct stations sampled; select the sibling code for three or more stations. The bronchoscopy and EBUS guidance for the nodal sampling are part of the service, while separately performed pathology or cytology analysis is distinct. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31652
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.35 · 11%
- Practice expense (office) RVU35.80 · 88%
- Malpractice RVU0.43 · 1%
27.9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #999 by national volume
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.
31652 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
$487.44
31629 covers bronchoscopic transbronchial needle sampling without the EBUS-guided mediastinal or hilar nodal service. Choose based on the procedure performed and target sampled.
$400.23
31628 is for bronchoscopic biopsy of lung tissue. Use 31652 for EBUS-guided needle sampling of mediastinal or hilar nodes or structures.
Compare 31652 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
$1336.36
Facility
$190.59
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 31652 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,657
- Code
- 31652
- Physician work
- 4.35
- Practice expense
- 35.80
- Malpractice
- 0.43
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 4.35 | × 1.000 | 4.3500 |
| Practice expense | 35.80 | × 0.990 | 35.4420 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | × 0.506 | 0.2176 |
| Total RVUs | 40.0096 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Vermont$1336.36
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.35 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 35.8 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | 0.506 |
(4.35 × 1 + 35.8 × 0.99 + 0.43 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $1336.36
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.35 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.15 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.43 | 0.506 |
(4.35 × 1 + 1.15 × 0.99 + 0.43 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $190.59
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
31652 billing questions
How do I choose between 31652 and 31653?
Count the distinct mediastinal or hilar node stations or structures sampled with EBUS. Report 31652 for one or two; use 31653 for three or more.
Does each needle pass or specimen count as a separate unit?
No. The code selection is based on the number of distinct stations or structures sampled, not the number of passes or specimens.
Is EBUS guidance separately reported with 31652?
The EBUS guidance used for the nodal sampling is included in this service. Separately performed pathology or cytology analysis is a distinct service.
Can 31654 be reported in the same session?
31654 describes EBUS assessment of a peripheral lung lesion and is an add-on to a qualifying primary bronchoscopic procedure. It may be relevant when peripheral-lesion work is also performed and documented.
What does the 0-day global period mean for billing?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. CMS applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction when other procedures are performed in the same session.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are also 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,65431648,,Bronchial valve remov init,A,,3.85,1.08,NA,1.08,,0.37,5.30,5.30,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31622,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,65531649,,Bronchial valve remov addl,A,,1.40,0.61,,0.31,,0.14,2.15,1.85,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,65631651,,Bronchial valve addl insert,A,,1.54,0.64,,0.32,,0.15,2.33,2.01,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,65731652,,Bronch ebus samplng 1/2 node,A,,4.35,35.80,,1.15,,0.43,40.58,5.93,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,65831653,,Bronch ebus samplng 3/> node,A,,4.84,36.58,,1.25,,0.47,41.89,6.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,65931654,,Bronch ebus ivntj perph les,A,,1.37,2.43,,0.29,,0.13,3.93,1.79,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,66031660,,Bronch thermoplsty 1 lobe,A,,3.90,0.84,NA,0.84,,0.34,5.08,5.08,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31622,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817