CPT 31502 Tracheotomy tube change prior to establishment of fistulous tract
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
RVU Values (CMS PFS RVU26C July 2026)
Common Modifiers
None typically required
Related ICD-10 Codes
Z93.0
Billing Tips
When billing CPT 31502, ensure your operative note clearly documents the procedure performed, clinical indication, and any complications or additional work that would support modifier usage. Always verify the code against the current AMA CPT Professional Edition before claim submission.
For multi-procedure cases, use our Case Builder to automatically calculate adjusted wRVUs with proper MPPR ranking.
Documentation and Coding Notes
AdSense readiness coding note: CPT 31502 should be treated as an educational starting point, not a final billing instruction. For tracheotomy tube change prior to establishment of fistulous tract, the operative note or procedure note should clearly support the approach, anatomic site, laterality when relevant, clinical indication, and any separately reportable services.
Before submitting a claim or logging the case, compare CPT 31502 with adjacent codes in the same family, confirm current AMA CPT language, check CMS/NCCI edits, and verify payer-specific bundling rules. Modifier use should be tied to documentation rather than added only to bypass an edit.
Common audit checks for airway management cases include whether the documented work matches the code descriptor, whether add-on services are separately supported, whether a global period applies, and whether ICD-10 diagnosis pairing supports medical necessity.
Related CPT Codes in Airway Management
CPT 31500 — Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure CPT 31613 — Tracheostoma revision; simple, without flap rotation CPT 31631 — Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, including fluoroscopic guid CPT 31515 — Laryngoscopy direct, with or without tracheoscopy; for aspir CPT 31505 — Laryngoscopy, indirect; diagnostic CPT 31510 — Laryngoscopy, indirect, with biopsyUse our free interactive decision tree with 500+ codes across 30 specialties
Open CPT Code Finder →