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CPT 92562: Alternating Binaural Pure-Tone Audiometry

CPT code 92562 describes an alternating binaural pure-tone hearing test used to evaluate a patient’s type of hearing loss by delivering tones alternately to each ear. Nationally, this code is a standard component of audiologic assessment for patients with suspected asymmetric hearing loss, tinnitus, or auditory processing complaints and factors into clinical workflows, coverage decisions, and claims reporting across payers. Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, payer coverage considerations, and an overview of typical service settings. The publication reviews common billing and coding themes associated with this audiometric test, presents coverage patterns and utilization benchmarks where available, and highlights relevant policy clarifications that affect claim adjudication. It also outlines how the service integrates with audiology and otolaryngology care pathways and what providers and billing staff typically need to document to support medical necessity. Data not provided in the input is noted as unavailable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 92562 describes a hearing test in which the provider delivers tones alternately between both ears to evaluate the type of hearing loss. This procedure is an audiometric assessment used to determine unilateral or bilateral hearing differences and to help distinguish between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Service type: Pure-tone audiometry presented alternately to each ear
Typical site of service: Audiology clinic, otolaryngology (ENT) office, hospital outpatient audiology department, or hearing center

Data not available in the input.

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CPT 92562: Alternating Binaural Pure-Tone Audiometry

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Pure-tone audiometry presented alternately to each ear
Typical site of service: Audiology clinic, otolaryngology (ENT) office, hospital outpatient audiology department, or hearing center

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 56-year-old patient presents to an outpatient audiology clinic with progressive difficulty understanding speech and intermittent ringing in both ears. The patient reports worse hearing in background noise over the past year and a history of noise exposure from occupational machinery. The clinician (a licensed audiologist or otolaryngologist) performs an air-conduction pure tone audiometry test delivering tones alternately between both ears to determine hearing thresholds and characterize the type (conductive, sensorineural, or mixed) and degree of hearing loss. The typical workflow includes patient history and otoscopic inspection, patient positioning in a sound-treated booth, earphone placement, calibration verification, presentation of pure tones to each ear via air conduction, threshold determination across standard frequencies (250–8000 Hz), and documentation of results in the medical record. Results guide further management such as diagnostic tympanometry, speech audiometry, referral to otolaryngology, hearing aid evaluation, or vestibular testing as clinically indicated. Typical site of service is an outpatient audiology clinic or otolaryngology office with access to a calibrated audiometer and sound-treated booth. The service type is diagnostic audiological testing (pure tone air-conduction threshold testing with alternate ear presentation).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the interpretation/reading portion is billed separate from technical components
`TC`	Technical component	Use when only equipment, technician, and test administration are billed
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when this test is separate and distinct from another service on the same day
`52`	Reduced services	Use when testing is partially reduced or not completed as originally intended
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when testing is started but terminated due to patient condition
`76`	Repeat procedure by same provider	Use when the same provider repeats the test for the same patient on same day (Note: `76` is not listed in input modifiers; use `77`/`78` alternatives are provided)
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room	Rarely applicable; use only if an audiologic procedure required an unplanned return for complication
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when substantially greater effort or time is required during test administration
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when multiple distinct procedures are billed same day and payer requires multiple-procedure reporting
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when another distinct audiology procedure is performed same day and needs separation

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`261QM0800X`	Audiology	Audiologists commonly perform pure tone air-conduction testing
`2080P0208X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	ENT physicians order and interpret audiologic testing for medical diagnosis
`207L00000X`	Physical therapy (not typical)	Data not applicable, included as placeholder

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`H90.3`	Sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Common indication for pure tone air-conduction threshold testing to quantify degree and laterality
`H90.2`	Conductive hearing loss, bilateral	Air-conduction testing helps identify conductive components prompting tympanometry and ENT evaluation
`H90.5`	Unspecified sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Used when audiometry documents hearing loss but etiology remains unspecified
`H91.90`	Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear	Broad diagnosis used when testing documents hearing impairment without specific classification
`H91.90`	Tinnitus, unspecified	Patients with tinnitus frequently undergo audiometric testing to assess concurrent hearing loss

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`92557`	Comprehensive audiometry threshold evaluation including air and bone conduction, speech recognition	Often performed alongside or following `92562` when full threshold testing and speech measures are required
`92567`	Tympanometry (impedance testing)	Performed to evaluate middle ear function when conductive loss is suspected after air-conduction testing
`92523`	Differential pure tone air and bone conduction with masking	Used when bone conduction testing is needed to determine type of hearing loss after initial air-conduction results
`92570`	Acoustic immittance testing, screening	May be used as adjunctive testing in the audiologic workup
`92626`	Evaluation of auditory function following cochlear implant programming	May follow diagnostic audiometry in cochlear implant candidates

CPT 92550: Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex Threshold Testing

CPT-92551-HEARING-SCREENING-LIMITED-TONES

CPT 92551: Limited Hearing Screening with Tones

CPT-92552-PURE-TONE-AUDIOMETRY-THRESHOLD-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92552: Pure Tone Audiometry Threshold Assessment

CPT-92553-PURE-TONE-AUDIOMETRY-AIR-AND-BONE-CONDUCTION

CPT 92553: Pure Tone Audiometry, Air and Bone Conduction

CPT-92555-SPEECH-RECEPTION-AWARENESS-THRESHOLD

CPT 92555: Speech Reception/Awareness Threshold Measurement

CPT-92556-SPEECH-RECOGNITION-HEARING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92556: Speech Recognition and Hearing Assessment

CPT-92557-DIAGNOSTIC-AUDIOLOGIC-EVALUATION-PURE-TONE-AND-SPEECH-RECOGNITION

CPT 92557: Diagnostic Audiologic Evaluation with Pure Tone and Speech Testing

CPT-92558-NEWBORN-INFANT-OTOACOUSTIC-EMISSIONS-HEARING-SCREEN

CPT 92558: Newborn/Infant Otoacoustic Emissions Hearing Screen

CPT-92563-AUDITORY-NERVE-TRANSMISSION-TIMING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92563: Auditory Nerve Transmission Timing Assessment

CPT-92565-BINAURAL-TONE-COMPARISON-UNILATERAL-HEARING-LOSS

CPT 92565: Binaural Tone Comparison for Unilateral Hearing Loss

Showing 1–10 of 27

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.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when only the interpretation/reading portion is billed separate from technical components
`TC`	Technical component	Use when only equipment, technician, and test administration are billed
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when this test is separate and distinct from another service on the same day
`52`	Reduced services	Use when testing is partially reduced or not completed as originally intended
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when testing is started but terminated due to patient condition
`76`	Repeat procedure by same provider	Use when the same provider repeats the test for the same patient on same day (Note: `76` is not listed in input modifiers; use `77`/`78` alternatives are provided)
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room	Rarely applicable; use only if an audiologic procedure required an unplanned return for complication
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when substantially greater effort or time is required during test administration
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when multiple distinct procedures are billed same day and payer requires multiple-procedure reporting
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when another distinct audiology procedure is performed same day and needs separation

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`261QM0800X`	Audiology	Audiologists commonly perform pure tone air-conduction testing
`2080P0208X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	ENT physicians order and interpret audiologic testing for medical diagnosis
`207L00000X`	Physical therapy (not typical)	Data not applicable, included as placeholder

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`H90.3`	Sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Common indication for pure tone air-conduction threshold testing to quantify degree and laterality
`H90.2`	Conductive hearing loss, bilateral	Air-conduction testing helps identify conductive components prompting tympanometry and ENT evaluation
`H90.5`	Unspecified sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Used when audiometry documents hearing loss but etiology remains unspecified
`H91.90`	Unspecified hearing loss, unspecified ear	Broad diagnosis used when testing documents hearing impairment without specific classification
`H91.90`	Tinnitus, unspecified	Patients with tinnitus frequently undergo audiometric testing to assess concurrent hearing loss

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`92557`	Comprehensive audiometry threshold evaluation including air and bone conduction, speech recognition	Often performed alongside or following `92562` when full threshold testing and speech measures are required
`92567`	Tympanometry (impedance testing)	Performed to evaluate middle ear function when conductive loss is suspected after air-conduction testing
`92523`	Differential pure tone air and bone conduction with masking	Used when bone conduction testing is needed to determine type of hearing loss after initial air-conduction results
`92570`	Acoustic immittance testing, screening	May be used as adjunctive testing in the audiologic workup
`92626`	Evaluation of auditory function following cochlear implant programming	May follow diagnostic audiometry in cochlear implant candidates

CPT 92550: Tympanometry and Acoustic Reflex Threshold Testing

CPT-92551-HEARING-SCREENING-LIMITED-TONES

CPT 92551: Limited Hearing Screening with Tones

CPT-92552-PURE-TONE-AUDIOMETRY-THRESHOLD-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92552: Pure Tone Audiometry Threshold Assessment

CPT-92553-PURE-TONE-AUDIOMETRY-AIR-AND-BONE-CONDUCTION

CPT 92553: Pure Tone Audiometry, Air and Bone Conduction

CPT-92555-SPEECH-RECEPTION-AWARENESS-THRESHOLD

CPT 92555: Speech Reception/Awareness Threshold Measurement

CPT-92556-SPEECH-RECOGNITION-HEARING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92556: Speech Recognition and Hearing Assessment

CPT-92557-DIAGNOSTIC-AUDIOLOGIC-EVALUATION-PURE-TONE-AND-SPEECH-RECOGNITION

CPT 92557: Diagnostic Audiologic Evaluation with Pure Tone and Speech Testing

CPT-92558-NEWBORN-INFANT-OTOACOUSTIC-EMISSIONS-HEARING-SCREEN

CPT 92558: Newborn/Infant Otoacoustic Emissions Hearing Screen

CPT-92563-AUDITORY-NERVE-TRANSMISSION-TIMING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92563: Auditory Nerve Transmission Timing Assessment

CPT-92565-BINAURAL-TONE-COMPARISON-UNILATERAL-HEARING-LOSS

CPT 92565: Binaural Tone Comparison for Unilateral Hearing Loss

Showing 1–10 of 27

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.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 92562: Alternating Binaural Pure-Tone Audiometry

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 92562: Alternating Binaural Pure-Tone Audiometry

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References