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Emergency Opening of the Windpipe

Texas rates for HCPCS 31603

Creates an airway in an emergency by cutting through the front of the neck directly into the windpipe and placing a tube so the person can breathe. It is done when the airway above is blocked or cannot be secured any other way and speed matters more than a tidy incision. Once the crisis passes the opening is usually converted to a planned, better-positioned one or allowed to close.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Emergency Opening of the Windpipe cost?

$2,188

Typical facility fee. In Texas, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $2,188 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $1,047 to $3,715.

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 8 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $2,188 · 10th to 90th $468 to $6,310
$500$1K$2K$5K$10Kfacility $2,188

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$537.03
Median
$2,290.87
Typical High
$6,918.31
BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$2,187.76
Typical High
$4,073.80
Christus
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$275.42
Median
$275.42
Typical High
$275.42
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$933.25
Median
$933.25
Typical High
$933.25
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,715.35
Median
$19,498.45
Typical High
$19,498.45
Moda Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$263.03
Median
$346.74
Typical High
$707.95
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$263.03
Median
$354.81
Typical High
$707.95
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$676.08
Median
$2,041.74
Typical High
$4,073.80

Where Texas sits

The same service costs 21.4 times more in California than in North Dakota. 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.

Texas· 28th of 50

$2,188

CA $6,761ND $316

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.