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Voice Box Exam With Stretching Of A Narrowing

Maryland rates for HCPCS 31528

A scope is passed through the mouth into the voice box so the surgeon can look at it directly and widen a narrowed part of the airway, stretching it with a dilator or a balloon. It relieves noisy or difficult breathing and a weak voice caused by scarring or narrowing. This covers the first such stretching; repeat sessions are billed separately.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Voice Box Exam With Stretching Of A Narrowing cost?

$200

Typical physician fee. In Maryland, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $200 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $151 to $955.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 6 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,622 · 10th to 90th $468 to $2,692Professionalmedian $155 · 10th to 90th $129 to $288
$200$500$1K$2Kfacility $1,622professional $155

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$141.25
Median
$154.88
Typical High
$169.82
CareFirst
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$141.25
Median
$154.88
Typical High
$190.55
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$446.68
Median
$1,698.24
Typical High
$2,754.23
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$138.04
Median
$173.78
Typical High
$363.08
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$131.83
Median
$151.36
Typical High
$245.47
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$758.58
Median
$1,380.38
Typical High
$2,570.40
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$125.89
Median
$190.55
Typical High
$354.81
Wellpoint
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$114.82
Median
$114.82
Typical High
$199.53
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$77.62
Median
$77.62
Typical High
$85.11
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$30.90
Median
$30.90
Typical High
$33.88
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$114.82
Median
$117.49
Typical High
$128.82
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$22.91
Median
$23.44
Typical High
$25.70
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$15.49
Median
$15.49
Typical High
$16.98

Where Maryland sits

The same service costs 11.2 times more in Oklahoma than in New York. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

Maryland· 35th of 51

$200

OK $1,622NY $145

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.