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43231 Esophagoscop ultrasound exam

What 43231 is

CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Esophagoscop ultrasound exam.

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 43231 (CY2026)

Work RVUPractice expense RVUMalpractice RVUTotalMedicare rate
Non-facility (office)2.731.130.274.13$137.95
Facility (hospital, ASC)2.731.130.274.13$137.95

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 43231 at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 2 - date of service edit (absolute): units above the MUE never pay), rationale: Anatomic Consideration. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with 43231? These codes are bundled into it

43231 is a Column 1 code in 250 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
00520Anes closed chest px nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00731Anes upr gi ndsc px nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00732Anes upr gi ndsc px ercp0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00811Anes lwr intst ndsc nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00812Anes lwr intst scr colsc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00813Anes upr lwr gi ndsc px0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
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

Showing 30 of 250 column 2 codes. Use the pair checker for any specific combination.

43231 is bundled into these codes

43231 appears as a Column 2 code in 74 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, 43231 is the code that denies.

Column 1 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
0652TEgd flx transnasal dx br/wa0Check pair
0653TEgd flx transnasal bx 1/mlt0Check pair
0654TEgd flx transnasal tube/cath0Check pair
43180Esophagoscopy rigid trnso0Check pair
43193Esophagoscp rig trnso biopsy0Check pair
43194Esophagoscp rig trnso rem fb0Check pair
43195Esophagoscopy rigid balloon0Check pair
43196Esophagoscp guide wire dilat0Check pair
43210Egd esophagogastrc fndoplsty0Check pair
43232Esophagoscopy w/us needle bx0Check pair
43233Egd balloon dil esoph30 mm/>0Check pair
43235Egd diagnostic brush wash0Check pair
43236Uppr gi scope w/submuc inj0Check pair
43237Endoscopic us exam esoph0Check pair
43238Egd us fine needle bx/aspir0Check 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.