$244.84–$284.46
31525 describes direct diagnostic examination. This code is for a therapeutic purpose, not visualization alone.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31527 Therapeutic laryngoscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Virginia
Reports direct laryngoscopy, with or without tracheoscopy, when the larynx is treated rather than examined solely for diagnosis. Compare 31527 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Virginia.
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 31527 in Virginia?
Virginia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$161.39–$182.13
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Otolaryngology
About 31527: Direct therapeutic laryngoscopy
Reports direct laryngoscopy, with or without tracheoscopy, when the larynx is treated rather than examined solely for diagnosis.
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.
CMS billing rules for 31527
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.19 · 64%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.34 · 27%
- Malpractice RVU0.46 · 9%
59
Medicare services in 2024 · #5254 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.
31527 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Virginia, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
31528 specifically describes laryngoscopic dilation. Use this code only when the treatment is not better represented by that specific dilation service.
No office rate
31535 applies when tissue is obtained by biopsy during direct laryngoscopy. Do not use this code in place of the biopsy service.
No office rate
31540 describes excision of a laryngeal tumor. Select it when tumor excision, rather than a more general therapeutic laryngoscopy, is performed.
Compare 31527 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$182.13
Virginia →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$161.39
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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 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.
3,58231520,,Dx laryngoscopy newborn,A,,2.50,1.17,NA,1.17,,0.37,4.04,4.04,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58331525,,Dx laryngoscopy excl nb,A,,2.56,4.58,,1.18,,0.38,7.52,4.12,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58431526,,Dx laryngoscopy w/oper scope,A,,2.51,1.17,NA,1.17,,0.37,4.05,4.05,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58531527,,Laryngoscopy for treatment,A,,3.19,1.34,NA,1.34,,0.46,4.99,4.99,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58631528,,Laryngoscopy and dilation,A,,2.31,1.08,NA,1.08,,0.35,3.74,3.74,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58731529,,Laryngoscopy and dilation,A,,2.61,1.14,NA,1.14,,0.38,4.13,4.13,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,0,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,58831530,,Laryngoscopy w/fb removal,A,,3.30,1.37,NA,1.37,,0.51,5.18,5.18,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31525,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00