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31238 Nsl/sins ndsc srg nsl hemrrg

What 31238 is

CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Nsl/sins ndsc srg nsl hemrrg.

Full CPT long descriptions are licensed by the American Medical Association and are not published on this site; the short descriptor above is the one CMS prints in its own fee schedule file. See About CPT.

Medicare payment for 31238 (CY2026)

Work RVUPractice expense RVUMalpractice RVUTotalMedicare rate
Non-facility (office)2.674.730.397.79$260.19
Facility (hospital, ASC)2.671.260.394.32$144.29

National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.


Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Global concept does not apply (endoscopic or minor procedure: global period is the day of the procedure).

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Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps 31238 at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 3 - date of service edit (clinical): units above the MUE may pay with documentation on appeal), rationale: CMS Policy. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with 31238? These codes are bundled into it

31238 is a Column 1 code in 238 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
0213TNjx paravert w/us cer/thor0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0216TNjx paravert w/us lumb/sac0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0596TTemp fml iu vlv-pmp 1st insj1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0597TTemp fml iu valve-pmp rplcmt1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0708TId ca immntx prep & 1st njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0709TId ca immntx each addl njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0903TEcg alg 12 lead reduced i&r1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0904TEcg alg 12 ld rdcd trcg only1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0905TEcg alg 12 ld rdcd i&r only1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12001Rpr s/n/ax/gen/trnk 2.5cm/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12002Rpr s/n/ax/gen/trnk2.6-7.5cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12004Rpr s/n/ax/gen/trk7.6-12.5cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12005Rpr s/n/a/gen/trk12.6-20.0cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12006Rpr s/n/a/gen/trk20.1-30.0cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12007Rpr s/n/ax/gen/trnk >30.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12011Rpr f/e/e/n/l/m 2.5 cm/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12013Rpr f/e/e/n/l/m 2.6-5.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12014Rpr f/e/e/n/l/m 5.1-7.5 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12015Rpr f/e/e/n/l/m 7.6-12.5 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12016Rpr fe/e/en/l/m 12.6-20.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12017Rpr fe/e/en/l/m 20.1-30.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12018Rpr f/e/e/n/l/m >30.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12020Tx supfc wnd dehsn smpl clsr1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12021Tx supfc wnd dehsn w/packing1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12031Intmd rpr s/a/t/ext 2.5 cm/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12032Intmd rpr s/a/t/ext 2.6-7.51 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12034Intmd rpr s/tr/ext 7.6-12.51 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12035Intmd rpr s/a/t/ext 12.6-201 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12036Intmd rpr s/a/t/ext 20.1-301 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
12037Intmd rpr s/tr/ext >30.0 cm1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair

Showing 30 of 238 column 2 codes. Use the pair checker for any specific combination.

31238 is bundled into these codes

31238 appears as a Column 2 code in 21 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, 31238 is the code that denies.

Column 1 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
31239Nsl/sinus endoscopy surg dcr1Check pair
31241Nsl/sns ndsc lig sphnptn art1Check pair
31253Nsl/sins ndsc total1Check pair
31254Nsl/sins ndsc w/prtl ethmdct1Check pair
31255Nsl/sins ndsc w/tot ethmdct1Check pair
31256Exploration maxillary sinus1Check pair
31257Nsl/sins ndsc tot w/sphendt1Check pair
31259Nsl/sins ndsc sphn tiss rmvl1Check pair
31267Endoscopy maxillary sinus1Check pair
31276Nsl/sins ndsc frnt tiss rmvl1Check pair
31287Nasal/sinus endoscopy surg1Check pair
31288Nasal/sinus endoscopy surg1Check pair
31290Nasal/sinus endoscopy surg1Check pair
31291Nasal/sinus endoscopy surg1Check pair
31292Nsl/sins ndsc med/inf dcmprn1Check pair

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.