$297.03–$345.75
31623 describes bronchoscopy with brushing or protected brushings. Compare the documented procedure and coding guidance; do not report both for the same brush sampling.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
31717 Bronchial brushing Medicare reimbursement rates in Virginia
Reports collection of bronchial cells or material with a brush for diagnostic examination, typically during evaluation of a suspected airway or lung abnormality. Compare 31717 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 31717 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
$300.92–$352.23
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$94.40–$104.75
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.
Pulmonary procedure
About 31717: Bronchial brush specimen collection
Reports collection of bronchial cells or material with a brush for diagnostic examination, typically during evaluation of a suspected airway or lung abnormality.
A clinician passes a sampling brush into a bronchus to collect cells or other material for diagnostic evaluation. Pulmonologists and other clinicians performing airway procedures may use this technique when imaging, symptoms, or prior findings warrant analysis of a bronchial abnormality. The specimen is sent for appropriate laboratory examination; this is brush-based sampling rather than forceps removal of a tissue fragment.
Report the service when the record supports bronchial brush sampling, including the clinical indication, sampled airway or target, technique, and specimen disposition. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 31717
- 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 RVU2.07 · 23%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.93 · 75%
- Malpractice RVU0.18 · 2%
31
Medicare services in 2024 · #5640 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.
31717 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Virginia, from the same CMS release.
$376.53–$439.28
31625 is used for bronchoscopic biopsy with tissue sampling. Choose 31717 when the documented specimen was obtained by brush rather than a forceps biopsy.
$280.61–$326.07
31624 describes bronchoscopic lavage, which collects material by washing the airway. 31717 is for material collected with a brush.
Compare 31717 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
$352.23
Facility
$104.75
Virginia →
Office / nonfacility
$300.92
Facility
$94.40
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31717 billing questions
How does brush sampling differ from a bronchial forceps biopsy?
Brush sampling collects cells or material with a brush. A forceps biopsy removes a tissue fragment; use the code that matches the documented sampling technique.
Is this the same as bronchoscopy with brushing?
CPT 31623 describes bronchoscopy with brushing or protected brushings. Check the documented service and applicable coding guidance before choosing between it and 31717; do not report both for the same brush sampling.
What documentation supports reporting 31717?
Document the reason for sampling, the bronchial target, the use of a brush, and what specimen was collected or submitted.
Can modifier 50 be used for sampling both lungs?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
How are same-session procedures affected by the multiple-procedure rule?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and 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 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.
3,66031660,,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
3,66131661,,Bronch thermoplsty 2/> lobes,A,,4.14,0.85,NA,0.85,,0.36,5.35,5.35,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,31622,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,6623170F,,Baselin flo cytometry b/4 tx,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,66331717,,Bronchial brush biopsy,A,,2.07,6.93,,0.64,,0.18,9.18,2.89,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,66431720,,Clearance of airways,A,,1.03,0.24,NA,0.24,,0.09,1.36,1.36,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,66531725,,Clearance of airways,A,,1.67,0.30,NA,0.30,,0.14,2.11,2.11,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,66631730,,Intro windpipe wire/tube,A,,2.78,31.85,,0.66,,0.55,35.18,3.99,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00