Billing code 30310: Nasal foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Report 30310 for removing a nasal foreign body when the extraction requires general anesthesia, commonly for an impacted object or an uncooperative child.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 30310 in Washington.
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 30310 covers
Code 30310 describes extraction of an object from the nasal passage when the procedure requires general anesthesia. Otolaryngologists commonly perform it in an operating room, including for a child who cannot safely tolerate extraction while awake or an object that is difficult to remove in an office setting. The record should identify the foreign body and nostril, describe the clinical circumstances, and support why general anesthesia was needed.
Choose 30310 based on the need for general anesthesia, not simply because the object is present or removal uses instruments. A 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. 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 30310 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $195.13 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $218.18 |
How the 30310 rate is calculated
Each of 30310’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 · 30310
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.96
1.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.46
3.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.28
0.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.7000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$190.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 30310
30310 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 30310
Nasal foreign body removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 30310
Nasal foreign body removal
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
30310 without 51 · national facility
$190.39
Nasal foreign body removal
30310-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$95.20
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%).
30310 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
30310 vs 30300 vs 30320: Medicare rates
How to choose
30310 billing questions
How does 30310 differ from 30300?
30310 is for removal requiring general anesthesia. 30300 is the office-type removal option when general anesthesia is not required.
When is 30320 a better fit?
30320 describes removal by lateral rhinotomy. Use 30310 when general anesthesia is required and the removal is not performed by that approach.
Are related postoperative visits separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in 30310.
Can modifier 50 be appended for an object in each nostril?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service; the bilateral adjustment does not apply.
What must the record support for 30310?
Document the object and nostril, the removal circumstances, and why general anesthesia was required. Assistant-at-surgery payment also requires documentation of medical necessity.
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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