Summary & Overview
CPT 92550: Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex Threshold Testing
CPT code 92550 represents a bundled diagnostic audiology service that combines tympanometry and acoustic reflex threshold measurement when both tests are performed by the provider. This combined testing provides objective evaluation of middle-ear function and reflex pathways relevant to otologic and audiologic conditions, making it a common code in outpatient ENT and audiology settings nationwide. The code matters for national billing and clinical practice because it standardizes reporting for two commonly paired diagnostic procedures and affects coding, documentation, and payment workflows across major payers.
Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical purpose of the code, typical sites of service, and the payer landscape covered. The publication provides benchmarks for utilization and payment where available, summarizes relevant policy updates that affect coverage and billing, and contextualizes the code within clinical workflows for audiology and otolaryngology practices. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable; the primary focus is on clarifying what CPT code 92550 captures and what health care administrators and billing professionals need to know about its clinical and billing role nationwide.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 92550 is a global service code that bundles tympanometry and acoustic reflex threshold measurement when both tests are performed by a provider. The combined service evaluates the middle ear (via tympanometry) and the inner ear/retrocochlear pathways (via reflex threshold testing) to assess for a range of ear diseases and middle ear dysfunction.
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Service type: Diagnostic audiology service combining objective middle-ear assessment and acoustic reflex testing.
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Typical site of service: Audiology clinic, otolaryngology (ENT) clinic, or outpatient diagnostic testing center.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 7-year-old child is referred by their pediatrician to an audiology clinic for evaluation of decreased hearing and recurrent otitis media. The audiologist performs otoscopy followed by a combined tympanometry and acoustic reflex threshold battery under the global service 92550. Tympanometry assesses middle ear compliance and pressure to detect effusion or eustachian tube dysfunction; acoustic reflex threshold testing evaluates stapedius reflex pathways to assess cochlear and brainstem function and middle ear reflex integrity. The typical workflow: history and ear exam, patient positioning in a sound-treated booth or quiet clinic room, probe placement and automated tympanometric sweep, followed immediately by ipsilateral and contralateral acoustic reflex threshold measurements. Results guide diagnosis (e.g., middle ear effusion vs. sensorineural hearing loss) and next steps such as medical management, referral to otolaryngology, or additional audiologic testing. Typical site of service: outpatient audiology clinic, otolaryngology office, or pediatric clinic with audiology capability. Service type: diagnostic audiologic procedure bundling middle ear (tympanometry) and reflex testing (acoustic reflex thresholds).
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the professional interpretation of testing separated from technical component |