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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesEndoscopy Procedures on the Trachea and BronchiCPT cpt-31629-transbronchial-needle-aspiration-bronchoscopic-biopsy
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    CPT 31629: Transbronchial Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Trachea/Bronchus

    Medicare pays $516 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 31629 describes bronchoscopic transbronchial needle aspiration using a diagnostic rigid or flexible bronchoscope to obtain one or more biopsies from the trachea, mainstem, and/or lobar bronchus; service type: bronchoscopic biopsy/diagnostic bronchoscopy; typical site of service: hospital operating room or endoscopy suite, ambulatory surgery center, or bronchoscopy suite based on clinical setting.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for Diagnosis of Hypertension in Patients with Elevated Office Blood Pressure, Cardiology - Ivabradine, Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT)/Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA).

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 62-year-old patient with a 40-pack-year smoking history presents with progressive cough, hemoptysis, and an indeterminate upper lobe lung mass on chest CT. Pulmonology evaluates the patient and schedules a diagnostic bronchoscopy with transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) to sample central airway and peribronchial lymph node tissue for cytology and pathology. The procedure is performed in an outpatient endoscopy suite under moderate sedation (monitored anesthesia care) with continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring. A flexible bronchoscope is advanced through the vocal cords into the trachea and mainstem bronchi; real-time visualization identifies an intraluminal lesion and adjacent lymph node stations. Multiple TBNA passes are performed using a dedicated aspiration needle to obtain core and cytologic material; specimens are sent for rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), flow cytometry, and microbiology as indicated. Post-procedure monitoring includes recovery from sedation, assessment for bleeding or pneumothorax, and discharge instructions. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure consent and anticoagulation review, intra-procedure documentation of scope type, number and location of biopsies, needle size, sample adequacy, and ROSE findings, and post-procedure pathology integration for staging and diagnosis.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    31622Bronchoscopy, flexible, transbronchial lung biopsy(s), without fluoroscopic guidanceTransbronchial forceps biopsy of peripheral lung tissue that may be performed in conjunction with TBNA to sample parenchymal lesions.
    31623Bronchoscopy, flexible, transbronchial lung biopsy(s), with fluoroscopic guidanceSame as 31622 but with fluoroscopic guidance; used when both TBNA and transbronchial biopsies require imaging.
    31628Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, with placement of tracheal/bronchial stentPerformed when endobronchial obstruction requires immediate stenting following diagnostic TBNA or therapeutic intervention.
    31631Thoracic endobronchial biopsy, intraluminal (forceps)Intraluminal forceps biopsy may be performed alongside TBNA when visible endobronchial lesions are present.
    32505Thoracentesis, diagnosticMay be performed before or after bronchoscopy if pleural effusion sampling is required for staging or diagnosis.

    Related Modifiers

    8 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    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…
    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…
    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…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    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…
    96Modifier 96 is appended to CPT codes to indicate that a service or procedure was provided for habilitative purposes — i.e., to help a patient learn, maintain, or improve skills and functioning for…- Use modifier -96 when a procedure or service that could be either habilitative or rehabilitative is provided specifically for habilitative purposes — i.e., to help a patient learn, maintain, or…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    2080P0206X
    207L00000X
    261QM0850X
    390200000X
    2083X0100X
    347B00000X
    2471Q0001X
    2251G0304X

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Cardiology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for Diagnosis of Hypertension in Patients with Elevated Office Blood PressureBluecross Idaho2026-11-01
    Cardiology - IvabradineCigna2026-10-15
    Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT)/Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Percutaneous Ventricular Assist DeviceUnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Cardiovascular Disease Risk AssessmentOscar Health2026-10-01
    Biomarkers for Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Heart FailureOscar Health2026-10-01
    Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction for Diagnostic Cardiovascular ProceduresBlue Cross Blue Shield - Maine2026-10-01
    Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devicesexcellus_health_plan_inc2026-09-17
    Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devicesuniverahealthcare2026-09-17
    Cardiac Omnibus CodesCigna2026-09-15

    Related Codes

    CPT-31615-TRACHEOBRONCHOSCOPY-THROUGH-TRACHEAL-OPENING

    CPT 31615: Tracheobronchoscopy via Tracheostomy

    CPT-31622-DIAGNOSTIC-BRONCHOSCOPY-AIRWAY-VISUALIZATION

    CPT 31622: Diagnostic Rigid or Flexible Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31623-BRONCHOSCOPIC-BRUSHING-DIAGNOSTIC

    CPT 31623: Bronchoscopic Brushing or Protected Brushing

    CPT-31624-BRONCHIAL-ALVEOLAR-LAVAGE-BRONCHOSCOPY

    CPT 31624: Bronchial Alveolar Lavage via Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31625-BRONCHIAL-ENDOBRONCHIAL-BIOPSY-BRONCHOSCOPY

    CPT 31625: Bronchial or Endobronchial Biopsy via Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31626-BRONCHOSCOPIC-MARKER-PLACEMENT

    CPT 31626: Bronchoscopic Marker Placement for Surgical Localization

    CPT-31627-IMAGE-GUIDED-BRONCHOSCOPIC-NAVIGATION

    CPT 31627: Image-Guided Navigation for Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31628-TRANSBRONCHIAL-BIOPSY-BRONCHOSCOPY-SINGLE-LOBE

    CPT 31628: Transbronchial Biopsy of Single Lobe via Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31630-THERAPEUTIC-BRONCHOSCOPY-AIRWAY-DILATION

    CPT 31630: Tracheal/Tracheobronchial Dilation via Bronchoscopy

    CPT-31631-TRACHEAL-STENT-PLACEMENT-BRONCHOSCOPY

    CPT 31631: Bronchoscopy with Tracheal Stent Placement

    Showing 1–10 of 29

    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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