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CPT 92288: Dark Adaptation/Rod Function Screening Test

CPT code 92288 represents a diagnostic screening procedure that measures how the eye’s rods recover and adapt to darkness, often reported using parameters such as rod recovery intercept time. This test is clinically important for detecting rod-mediated retinal dysfunction that can signal early retinal degenerations, retinopathies, or other conditions affecting night vision. Nationally, accurate coding and interpretation of this screening are relevant for specialty eye practices and hospital outpatient departments managing retinal disease.

Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the code’s clinical purpose, typical sites of service, and the kinds of documentation expected with the test and interpretation. The publication also summarizes available benchmarks, coverage considerations, and recent policy developments that affect utilization and reporting for dark adaptation/rod function screening. Clinical context on when the test is applied and what results signify is provided to help billing, coding, and clinical staff align documentation with payer expectations.

This report is intended for a national audience and focuses on practical coding context, payer coverage patterns, and documentation practices relevant to CPT code 92288.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 92288 describes a screening test that evaluates how a patient’s eyes adapt to darkness, focusing on basic measures of rod function. The procedure may include measurements such as rod recovery intercept time, with the provider responsible for interpreting the test results and producing a written report.

Service type: Diagnostic screening test of retinal/rod function
Typical site of service: Ophthalmology clinic, retinal specialty center, or hospital outpatient department

Data not available in the input.

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 92288: Dark Adaptation/Rod Function Screening Test

This report is intended for a national audience and focuses on practical coding context, payer coverage patterns, and documentation practices relevant to CPT code 92288.

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Get alerted when payer policies referencing 92288 are released or updated.

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Diagnostic screening test of retinal/rod function
Typical site of service: Ophthalmology clinic, retinal specialty center, or hospital outpatient department

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old patient with progressive night vision difficulty is referred to an ophthalmology specialty clinic. The patient reports increasing difficulty seeing in dim light over several months and has a family history of retinal dystrophy. The clinic schedules a rod function screening test to assess scotopic retinal performance. The service is performed in an outpatient ophthalmology clinic or hospital outpatient department equipped for electrophysiologic/psychophysical retinal testing. The patient is prepped in a darkened testing room; pupils may be dilated per clinician preference. The provider or trained technician performs the standardized screening test that measures how the patient’s eyes adapt to darkness (including parameters such as rod recovery and rod intercept time), documents test conditions, interprets the results, and generates a written report. Typical workflow includes review of referral and history, informed consent, test administration (often requiring a period of dark adaptation), data acquisition, clinician interpretation, and report entry into the medical record. Results guide further diagnostic testing (for example, full electroretinography, imaging, or genetic testing) and inform management decisions related to retinal degenerations, toxicities, or other rod-mediated visual dysfunctions.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`25`	Significant, Separately Identifiable E/M Service by the Same Physician on the Same Day	Use when a distinct evaluation and management visit is performed on the same day as the screening test and documentation supports a separate, significant service.

26 | Professional Component | Use when billing only the professional component (interpretation and report) separate from the technical component.

TC | Technical Component | Use when billing only the technical component (test performance, equipment, technician) separate from the professional interpretation.

59 | Distinct Procedural Service | Use to indicate a separate, distinct procedure when bundling edits might otherwise deny the screening test when truly separate from other same-day services.

RT | Right Side | Use when laterality reporting is required and the test is performed only on the right eye.

LT | Left Side | Use when laterality reporting is required and the test is performed only on the left eye.

52 | Reduced Services | Use when the screening test was partially reduced or not completed as documented.

80 | Assistant Surgeon | Rarely used; use if an assistant surgeon’s involvement is necessary and report supports it.

GA | Waiver of Liability Statement on File (ABN) | Use when Medicare beneficiary refused recommended inpatient services or advanced notice required for non-covered service and ABN is on file, if applicable.

EP | Exempt from Auto-ABN Requirements | Use when a test is statutorily excluded from auto-ABN rules and documentation supports exemption.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207W00000X`	Ophthalmology	Specialty most commonly performing and interpreting rod-function screening tests.

207K00000X | Optometry | Optometrists in some states perform screening tests and triage referrals.

2080P0004X | Pediatric Ophthalmology | Pediatric specialists perform testing in children with suspected hereditary retinal disorders affecting rods.

207L00000X | Retina/Vitreous Specialist | Subspecialists interpreting complex rod dysfunction results and directing further retinal diagnostics.

261QF0400X | Clinical Neurophysiology | Providers specializing in visual electrophysiology may perform or interpret similar functional tests.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`H35.52`	Degeneration of macula and posterior pole, unspecified	Macular and posterior pole degenerations can be associated with rod dysfunction; testing helps define scotopic impairment.

H35.50 | Background retinopathy, unspecified | General retinal degenerative processes may include rod involvement prompting functional screening.

H35.81 | Hereditary retinal dystrophy | Genetic retinal dystrophies frequently present with early rod dysfunction (night blindness); screening assists in diagnosis and monitoring.

H53.8 | Other visual disturbances | Nonspecific visual complaints such as night blindness or scotopic visual disturbance are appropriate indications for rod-function screening.

T46.0X5A | Adverse effect of antimalarials, initial encounter | Certain medications (for example, hydroxychloroquine) can produce retinal toxicity affecting rod function; screening may be part of monitoring protocols.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`92250`	Fundus photography with interpretation and report	Often performed before or after rod-function screening to document retinal morphology and correlate structural findings with functional deficits.

92285 | External ocular photography for documentation of medical progression | May be used in conjunction to document external retinal-related findings or to track progression over time.

92275 | Electroretinography, amplitude and/or implicit time, any type; simple flash, unilateral or bilateral | A full electroretinography test providing comprehensive rod and cone function data often performed when screening indicates abnormal rod function.

92499 | Unlisted ophthalmological service or procedure | Used when a specific functional test or novel rod-adaptation protocol has no dedicated CPT and requires unlisted coding with documentation.

92083 | Visual field examination, extended | Automated or specialized visual field testing may be performed alongside rod-function screening to assess peripheral vision deficits associated with rod loss.

CPT 92265: Electromyography of Extraocular Muscles

CPT-92270-ELECTRO-OCULOGRAPHY-INTERPRETATION-REPORT

CPT 92270: Electro-oculography with Interpretation and Report

CPT-92273-ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIC-TEST-RETINAL-FUNCTION-ERG

CPT 92273: Electrophysiologic Test of Retinal Function

CPT-92274-MULTIFOCAL-ELECTRORETINOGRAPHY-MFERG-RETINAL-FUNCTION

CPT 92274: Multifocal Electroretinography (mfERG) for Retinal Function

CPT-92283-ANOMALOSCOPE-COLOR-VISION-TESTING-RED-GREEN

CPT 92283: Anomaloscope Color Vision Testing

CPT-92284-RETINAL-PHOTORECEPTOR-FUNCTION-TESTING-DARK-ADAPTATION

CPT 92284: Retinal Photoreceptor Function Testing and Dark Adaptation

CPT-92285-OCULAR-PHOTOGRAPHY-DOCUMENTATION

CPT 92285: Photography of Ocular Abnormalities for Documentation

CPT-92286-ANTERIOR-SEGMENT-OCULAR-VASCULAR-EXAMINATION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 92286: Anterior Segment Ocular Vascular Examination with Interpretation

CPT-92287-IRIS-VASCULAR-IMAGING-NEOVASCULARIZATION-EVALUATION

CPT 92287: Iris Vascular Imaging for Neovascularization

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`25`	Significant, Separately Identifiable E/M Service by the Same Physician on the Same Day	Use when a distinct evaluation and management visit is performed on the same day as the screening test and documentation supports a separate, significant service.