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CPT 92611: Endoscopic Cine/Video Swallowing Study
CPT code 92611 denotes an endoscopic, cine or video-recorded study of the mouth, larynx, and esophagus to evaluate swallowing function. This instrumental assessment documents dynamic swallowing to detect aspiration, penetration, structural lesions, or physiologic impairments and is commonly used when clinical bedside evaluations are inconclusive. Nationally, accurate coding for this procedure supports appropriate clinical management of dysphagia and alignment of services across radiology and speech-language pathology specialties.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical context for use of the code, how it relates to other swallowing studies and evaluations, common sites of service, typical indications tied to ICD-10 dysphagia diagnoses, and the set of related billing codes used for interpreting and non-endoscopic swallowing assessments. The publication highlights coding relationships to physician/radiologist interpretation codes and complementary procedural codes, and outlines the clinical scenarios that commonly trigger use of 92611.
This summary is intended for national audience members in clinical, coding, and payer policy roles seeking a concise reference on the procedure represented by 92611, its place in care pathways for dysphagia, and the payer landscape relevant to coverage considerations.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 92611 describes a cine or video-recorded endoscopic study of the oral cavity, larynx (voice box), and esophagus to assess swallowing function. The procedure documents dynamic anatomy and physiology during swallowing and is used to identify aspiration, penetration, structural abnormalities, and functional impairments.
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Service type: Endoscopic swallowing study with cine/video recording (instrumental swallowing assessment)
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient departments, radiology suites, or specialized swallowing clinics where endoscopic equipment and video recording are available
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare’s mean allowed rate for CPT 92611 is $94.6, versus BUCA’s commercial average of $193.5 — a gap of $98.9, with BUCA roughly double Medicare on average. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna present higher mean levels ($237.6 and $96.5 respectively) and wider tails, while UnitedHealth Group and Cigna sit between those extremes; this frames a commercial landscape where contract positioning can materially affect reimbursement relative to the Medicare baseline.
Dispersion measured as the interquartile range (P75–P25) highlights variability: Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest IQR at $121.0 ($287.7–$186.7), followed by Cigna at $110.8 ($201.3–$98.2) and UnitedHealth Group at $88.9 ($186.2–$97.3). Aetna’s IQR is $33.7 ($108.2–$75.0), the tightest among payers with full quartile data, while BUCA’s IQR is $90.0 ($235.2–$145.4) and Medicare’s IQR is $8.0 ($97–$89). These ranges signal which payers exhibit more concentrated versus more dispersed commercial pricing.