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    OpenPayerBilling CodesEndoscopy Procedures on the Accessory SinusesCPT cpt-31231-diagnostic-nasal-endoscopy-nasal-cavity-evaluation
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    CPT 31231: Nasal Endoscopy, Diagnostic

    Medicare pays $201 and commercial payers pay $291 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 31231 describes diagnostic nasal endoscopy in which a provider inserts an endoscope into the nasal cavity to visualize structures on one or both sides; service type: diagnostic endoscopy; typical site of service: outpatient clinic or ambulatory surgical center (nasal cavity/endoscopy suite).

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Dental Anesthesia Services, Anesthesia Services for Interventional Pain Management Procedures in an Adult, General Anesthesia and Conscious Sedation Services.

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    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    Commercial averages sit above Medicare: Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group show mean rates of $353.20 and $249.90 respectively, while BUCA’s mean of $291.20 is notably higher than Medicare’s mean of $201.00. This positions Medicare at the lower end of the national mean spectrum for CPT 31231, with BUCA representing a mid-to-upper commercial average.

    Rate dispersion (P75 minus P25) varies materially by payer. Blue Cross Blue Shield has a dispersion of $178.90, Cigna $200.50, UnitedHealth Group $188.90, Aetna $166.40, and BUCA $172.40; Medicare’s interquartile spread is $24.00. Cigna displays the widest IQR at $200.50, indicating greater variability, while Medicare is the tightest at $24.00, indicating the most compressed distribution among listed payers.

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    National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

    State Reimbursement Rates

    State: Alaska1 / 51

    Rate by payer

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 42-year-old patient presents to an Otolaryngology clinic with a 6-month history of nasal congestion, intermittent purulent rhinorrhea, facial pressure, and decreased sense of smell. Prior medical therapy including intranasal corticosteroids and oral antibiotics provided incomplete relief. The provider schedules an in-office diagnostic nasal endoscopy to directly visualize the nasal cavity and sinonasal passages to assess mucosal inflammation, identify polyps, inspect ostiomeatal complexes, and obtain targeted cultures or confirm findings on prior imaging.

    The clinical workflow includes: pre-visit review of history and prior imaging, informed consent specific to an office endoscopic nasal examination, topical anesthesia and decongestion of the nasal mucosa, insertion of a rigid or flexible endoscope into one or both nasal cavities to inspect nasal structures, targeted suctioning or culture if indicated, documentation of findings with images or video when performed, and post-procedure counseling. Typical indications include chronic sinusitis (J32.9), nasal polyps (J33.0), acute or recurrent sinusitis (J01.90), nonspecific nasal obstruction (R09.81), and other structural or mucosal disorders of the nasal cavities (J34.89). The procedure is commonly performed by an otolaryngology specialist in an ambulatory clinic or office-based setting and is coded using 31231 for diagnostic endoscopy of the nasal cavity on one or both sides.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT Code

    Related Modifiers

    12 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    25CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    77Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    24Modifier 24 denotes an unrelated evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or qualified healthcare professional during a postoperative global period. Per CPT guidance,…- Use modifier 24 when you report an evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or same-specialty group during a procedure’s postoperative global period that is unrelated…

    Showing 1–10 of 12

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207Y00000X
    207YX0007X
    207YX0602X
    246ZG0701X
    103K00000X
    363LP2300X
    103TF0200X
    2084N0600X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    5 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    J32.9Chronic sinusitis, unspecified
    J01.90Acute sinusitis, unspecified
    R09.81Nasal congestion
    J33.0Polyp of nasal cavity
    J34.89Other specified disorders of nose and nasal sinuses

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Anesthesiology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Dental Anesthesia ServicesProvidence Health Plan2026-10-01
    Anesthesia Services for Interventional Pain Management Procedures in an AdultCigna2026-09-15
    General Anesthesia and Conscious Sedation ServicesUnitedHealthcare2026-09-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use DisordersPremera Bluecross2026-07-01
    Elective Inpatient Services (for Idaho Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-06-01
    Sites of Servicepriority health2026-06-01
    Coverage for Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU)/Outpatient Facility and Anesthesia for Dental Servicesuniverahealthcare2026-05-21

    Related Codes

    CPT-31233-MAXILLARY-SINUS-DIAGNOSTIC-ENDOSCOPY-THROUGH-CANINE-FOSSA-OR-INFERIOR-MEATUS

    CPT 31233: Diagnostic Endoscopy of Maxillary Sinus via Canine Fossa

    CPT-31235-SPHENOID-SINUS-DIAGNOSTIC-ENDOSCOPY

    CPT 31235: Diagnostic Endoscopy of Sphenoid Sinus

    CPT-31237-NASAL-ENDOSCOPY-BIOPSY-POLYPECTOMY-DEBRIDEMENT

    CPT 31237: Nasal/Sinus Endoscopy with Biopsy or Polypectomy

    CPT-31238-ENDOSCOPIC-NASAL-HEMOSTASIS

    CPT 31238: Endoscopic Nasal Cautery for Control of Bleeding

    CPT-31239-DACRYOCYSTORHINOSTOMY-EXTERNAL-DCR

    CPT 31239: Dacryocystorhinostomy (External DCR)

    CPT-31240-ENDOSCOPIC-CONCHA-BULLOSA-REMOVAL

    CPT 31240: Endoscopic-Assisted Concha Bullosa Removal

    CPT-31241-ENDOSCOPIC-SPHENOPALATINE-ARTERY-LIGATION-NASAL

    CPT 31241: Endoscopic Ligation of Sphenopalatine Artery

    CPT-31242-POSTERIOR-NASAL-NERVE-RADIOFREQUENCY-ABLATION-ENDOSCOPIC

    CPT 31242: Endoscopic Posterior Nasal Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation

    CPT-31243-POSTERIOR-NASAL-NERVE-CRYOABLATION-ENDOSCOPIC

    CPT 31243: Endoscopic Posterior Nasal Nerve Cryoablation

    CPT-31253-ETHMOID-EXCISION-WITH-FRONTAL-SINUS-EXPLORATION

    CPT 31253: Complete Ethmoid Excision with Frontal Sinus Exploration

    Showing 1–10 of 28

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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    Description
    Relationship to This Procedure
    31233Nasal/sinus endoscopy, diagnosticClosely related diagnostic endoscopy code; may be used for additional sinus visualization or when coding conventions distinguish separate endoscopic levels.
    31235Nasal/sinus endoscopy, diagnosticAlternate or additional diagnostic endoscopy code for nasal/sinus evaluation; used per documentation and payer coding rules to reflect extent or technology of the examination.