Billing code 31084: Frontal sinus surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports a frontal sinus operation involving removal, selected when the operative documentation supports this specific procedure rather than exploration alone.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 31084 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 31084 covers
Code 31084 represents a surgical procedure involving removal in the frontal sinus. Otolaryngologists typically perform this type of operation in an operating room for significant frontal sinus disease or a lesion requiring surgical treatment. The operative report should identify the frontal sinus as the treated site and describe the work performed; do not infer this code from a diagnosis or from sinus access alone.
Select this code by matching the documented procedure and approach to its full billing code definition, especially when distinguishing it from other frontal sinus surgery codes. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 31084 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,100.35 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,213.71 |
How the 31084 rate is calculated
Each of 31084’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 · 31084
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 14.58Practice expense 15.72Malpractice 2.13
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 31084
31084 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 31084
Frontal sinus surgery
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 31084
Frontal sinus surgery
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
31084 without 50 · national facility
$1,083.19
Frontal sinus surgery
31084-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,624.79
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
31084 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
31084 vs 31070 vs 31075 vs 31080: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31070Frontal sinus surgery
- 31070 is a frontal sinus exploration procedure. Report 31084 only when the documented operation meets its removal-procedure definition.
- 31075Frontal sinus exploration
- 31075 also describes frontal sinus exploration. The operative work and approach, rather than the diagnosis alone, determine whether 31084 is appropriate.
- 31080Frontal sinus surgery
- Both are frontal sinus removal procedures, but they have distinct billing code definitions. Match the code to the operative technique documented.
31084 billing questions
How is 31084 distinguished from frontal sinus exploration codes?
Use 31084 when the documented operation meets its removal-procedure definition. Codes 31070 and 31075 represent frontal sinus exploration procedures, so access or exploration alone does not establish 31084.
What documentation supports reporting 31084?
The operative report should identify the frontal sinus, describe the removal performed, and document the surgical approach and extent needed to support selection over other frontal sinus procedure codes.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How is modifier 50 handled for a bilateral procedure?
CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 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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