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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesOther Procedures on the Pharynx, Adenoids, and TonsilsCPT cpt-42975-endoscopic-airway-evaluation-sleep-disordered-breathing
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    CPT 42975: Endoscopic Evaluation of Airway Under Sedation

    Medicare pays $85 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 42975 describes an endoscopic evaluation performed after sedation in which a provider inspects the throat, palate, and tongue to identify sites of airway obstruction in patients with sleep‑disordered breathing such as obstructive sleep apnea; service type: diagnostic endoscopic airway evaluation under sedation; typical site of service: ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient setting where monitored sedation and endoscopy are performed.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Office-based Laryngeal Procedures, Otoacoustic Emissions Testing (for Oxford Only), Hearing Aids and Devices Including Wearable, Bone-Anchored, and Semi-Implantable (for Indiana Only).

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    Table of contents

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 48-year-old male with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and persistent daytime sleepiness is referred for surgical evaluation after failure of or intolerance to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Preoperative evaluation by an otolaryngologist and a sleep physician confirms obesity, loud snoring, and positional apneas documented on home sleep testing. The provider schedules an office- or ambulatory surgical-center–based procedure under monitored anesthesia care or general anesthesia.

    During the procedure, after the patient is sedated and asleep, the surgeon introduces a flexible or rigid endoscope to evaluate the upper airway structures including the palate, tonsillar pillars, tongue base, and hypopharynx to identify the specific sites and patterns of airway collapse. Findings guide surgical planning (for example, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tongue-base reduction, or multi-level surgery) or non‑surgical interventions (oral appliances, positional therapy). The typical workflow includes pre-procedure consent and pre-anesthesia assessment, intra-procedure endoscopic examination with dynamic airway assessment during induced sleep or sedation, documentation of observed obstruction levels, and post-anesthesia recovery and discharge from an ambulatory setting or same-day hospital discharge when stable.

    Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department. Service type: Diagnostic endoscopic airway examination under sedation for evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    31575Laryngoscopy, flexible or rigid; diagnostic, with stroboscopy when performedMay be used for additional laryngeal assessment during airway evaluation

    42145 | Palatopharyngoplasty (includes uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) | A common surgical treatment planned based on findings from the diagnostic endoscopic airway exam

    41512 | Reduction, hypertrophic lingual tonsil, transoral, with or without lingual tonsillectomy | Performed when tongue-base or lingual tonsil hypertrophy is identified as an obstruction site

    95810 | Polysomnography; sleep staging with 4 or more parameters of sleep, attended by technologist | Diagnostic sleep testing often precedes and informs the need for diagnostic endoscopic airway exam

    31582 | Laryngoscopy, flexible fiberoptic; diagnostic, with evaluation of voice or swallowing | May be performed concurrently if assessment of dynamic airway and swallowing function is required

    Related Modifiers

    8 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    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…
    23Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
    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…
    79Modifier 79 indicates a surgical procedure performed during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery that is unrelated to the original procedure. Per AMA/CPT and CMS guidance, it is…- Use modifier 79 when the same physician (or same‑specialty physician in the same group) performs a surgical procedure during the postoperative global period of a prior surgery and the new procedure…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207L00000X
    207R00000X
    204E00000X
    202K00000X
    2084P0804X
    225B00000X
    2279P1006X
    152WC0802X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    26 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    F51.09Other insomnia not due to a substance or known physiological condition
    G47.30Sleep apnea, unspecified
    G47.31Primary central sleep apnea
    G47.33Obstructive sleep apnea (adult) (pediatric)
    G47.39Other sleep apnea
    G47.8Other sleep disorders
    G47.9Sleep disorder, unspecified
    J34.2Deviated nasal septum
    J34.89Other specified disorders of nose and nasal sinuses
    J35.1Hypertrophy of tonsils

    Showing 1–10 of 26

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)1 / 2

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Office-based Laryngeal ProceduresPremera Bluecross2026-10-06
    Otoacoustic Emissions Testing (for Oxford Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Hearing Aids and Devices Including Wearable, Bone-Anchored, and Semi-Implantable (for Indiana Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking Agents (for Kentucky Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking Agents (for New Mexico Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking AgentsUnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking AgentsUnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking Agents (for Nebraska Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Injectable Dermal Fillers and Bulking Agents (for Kansas Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Sinus Surgeries and Interventions (for North Carolina Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-42955-PHARYNGOSTOMY-LONG-TERM-FEEDING

    CPT 42955: Pharyngostomy for Long-Term Enteral Feeding

    CPT-42960-OROPHARYNGEAL-BLEEDING-CONTROL-POSTOPERATIVE

    CPT 42960: Control of Oral/Throat Bleeding After Surgery

    CPT-42961-OROPHARYNGEAL-POSTOPERATIVE-HEMORRHAGE-CONTROL-HOSPITAL

    CPT 42961: Control of Bleeding in Mouth and Throat, Inpatient

    CPT-42962-POSTOPERATIVE-ORAL-PHARYNGEAL-HEMOSTASIS

    CPT 42962: Control of Postoperative Bleeding in Mouth and Throat

    CPT-42970-POSTOP-NASOPHARYNGEAL-BLEEDING-CONTROL

    CPT 42970: Control of Postoperative Nasopharyngeal Bleeding

    CPT-42971-NASOPHARYNGEAL-BLEEDING-CONTROL-POST-ADENOIDECTOMY

    CPT 42971: Control of Nasopharyngeal Bleeding, Hospitalized Patient

    CPT-42972-NASOPHARYNGEAL-BLEEDING-CONTROL-POST-ADENOIDECTOMY

    CPT 42972: Surgical Control of Postoperative Nasopharyngeal Bleeding

    CPT-42999-UNLISTED-PHARYNX-ADENOIDS-TONSILS-PROCEDURE

    CPT 42999: Unlisted Procedure on Pharynx, Adenoids, or Tonsils

    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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