Billing for Real Ear Measurements

Question

Answer

Regarding the code for real ear measurements, there is not one. I have seen two ways of handling this. One way is to use 92594 (electroacoustic evaluation for hearing aid; monaural) or 92595 (electroacoustic evaluation for hearing aid, binaural). The other way which is preferable is to use 92599 (unlisted otorhinolaryngological service or procedure) and accompany this code with a report describing what was done. At the last AMA CPT meeting I attended, it was emphasized that if there is not a code for a certain procedure, do not use what you think comes closest. Use the unlisted code.

As a word of background, several years ago we submitted a code proposal for ear canal probe microphone measurements and were turned down by the AMA. Their argument was that probe mike measurements are too closely tied into the hearing aid evaluation or hearing aid check for which there are already codes. Therefore, they did not want to grant a new code just for probe mike measurements.

BIO: Robert C. Fifer, Ph.D. is currently the Director of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology at the Mailman Center for Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Speech-Language Pathology with a minor in Deaf Education. His M.A. degree is from Central Michigan University in Audiology. And his Ph.D. degree is from Baylor College of Medicine in Bioacoustics (Audiology). Dr. Fifer's clinical and research interests focus on the areas of auditory evoked potentials, central auditory processing, early detection of hearing loss in children, and auditory anatomy and physiology. He is a member of ASHA's Heath Care Economics Committee.