Summary & Overview
CPT 92572: Dichotic Listening Test for Central Auditory Processing
CPT code 92572 denotes a dichotic listening test used to assess central auditory processing by presenting different, overlapping information to each ear. This audiologic diagnostic procedure is clinically important for identifying central auditory processing disorders, informing rehabilitation strategies, and guiding referrals for further audiology or neurology evaluation. Nationally, the code matters for standardizing reporting of central auditory function and for coverage determinations across payers.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the test, typical sites of service, and an overview of common billing considerations tied to the procedure. The publication also summarizes available benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement where present, highlights policy and coverage trends affecting audiologic diagnostics, and outlines coding relationships that affect claim bundling and documentation expectations.
The article is organized to give clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts a clear, national-level view of how CPT code 92572 is used in practice, what it represents clinically, and the operational issues payers consider when reviewing claims for central auditory processing testing.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 92572 describes a dichotic listening test in which the provider delivers different, overlapping auditory information to each ear to evaluate central auditory processing. The service is an audiologic diagnostic test designed to assess how the central nervous system processes competing auditory stimuli.
Service type: Audiologic diagnostic testing
Typical site of service: Audiology clinic or outpatient hearing center
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 28-year-old patient is referred to an audiology clinic for evaluation of central auditory processing after reporting difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments and frequent requests for repetition at work. The patient has normal peripheral hearing on pure-tone audiometry but reports persistent problems with binaural competition tasks. During the appointment an audiologist obtains a focused history, reviews prior audiometric results, and performs otoscopy and tympanometry to exclude conductive pathology. The provider then administers the dichotic listening test described by 92572, presenting different overlapping verbal stimuli to each ear to assess the integrity of central auditory pathways and hemispheric processing. Results are recorded in the chart, interpreted in the context of other central auditory processing tests, and a diagnostic summary is provided to the referring clinician. Typical site of service is an ambulatory audiology clinic or hospital outpatient audiology department where specialized testing equipment and a certified audiologist or speech-language pathologist are available.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the clinician's professional interpretation and report separate from the technical component. |