Summary & Overview
CPT 0208T: Air Conduction Hearing Threshold Testing
CPT code 0208T denotes an audiologic diagnostic test that uses air conduction to determine hearing threshold levels and to classify the type of hearing loss. This code captures a focused clinical service used in outpatient audiology and otolaryngology settings to evaluate auditory sensitivity across frequencies. Nationally, such diagnostic audiology codes are important for accurately characterizing hearing loss, guiding management, and informing coverage decisions.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical intent of the code, typical sites of service, and the scope of services represented by the code. The publication summarizes payer coverage patterns and common modifiers encountered, notes where data were not provided, and situates the code within typical outpatient audiology workflows.
This summary is intended to clarify the clinical purpose and billing context of 0208T, outline what payers commonly address in coverage for diagnostic audiology, and provide a reference point for clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts evaluating coding and reimbursement practices for air conduction threshold testing.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0208T describes a diagnostic audiologic procedure in which the provider uses air conduction mode to assess the patient’s hearing threshold levels and establish the type of hearing loss. This procedure evaluates auditory sensitivity across frequencies delivered via air conduction, helping differentiate conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss.
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Service type: Audiologic diagnostic testing (air conduction threshold testing)
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Typical site of service: Audiology clinic, ENT office, or other outpatient diagnostic setting
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old patient presents to an otolaryngology or audiology clinic with progressive bilateral hearing difficulty and tinnitus. The clinician performs a pure-tone air conduction threshold test using calibrated audiometric equipment to determine hearing sensitivity across frequencies and to classify the type (conductive, sensorineural, or mixed) and degree of hearing loss. The workflow includes patient history and otoscopic inspection, explanation of test procedures, positioning in a sound-treated booth, placement of supra-aural or insert earphones, delivery of pure tones via air conduction, and recording thresholds for each ear. Results guide further diagnostics (bone conduction testing, tympanometry) and management decisions such as amplification referral, medical evaluation, or ENT surgical consultation. Typical sites of service are outpatient audiology clinics, otolaryngology offices, hearing centers, and hospital outpatient departments.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier; standard reporting | Use when no reason to append a modifier; standard claim submission for the procedure |
22 | Increased procedural services |