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

CPT 92640: Auditory Brainstem Implant Programming and Analysis

CPT code 92640 denotes a diagnostic programming and analysis procedure for an implanted auditory brainstem device used to restore hearing. This specialized service is clinically significant because it supports device optimization and functional outcomes for patients with severe auditory pathway impairment who receive brainstem implants. Nationally, the code reflects a niche but important component of auditory implant care and device maintenance.

Key payers covered in the analysis 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 payer coverage context. The publication summarizes common billing practices and modifiers associated with complex device programming, offers benchmarks where available, and highlights policy or coverage considerations relevant to implantable auditory devices.

The content is organized to help providers, billing staff, and policy analysts understand the clinical role of CPT code 92640, how it fits into care pathways for implanted auditory devices, and what aspects of payer policy and billing practice to monitor for compliance and reimbursement.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 92640 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 92640 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 92640 describes a diagnostic programming service for an implanted auditory brainstem device used to restore a patient’s hearing. This service involves analysis and adjustment of the implanted device to optimize auditory function for the recipient.

Service type: Diagnostic programming and analysis of an implanted auditory brainstem hearing device
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, or specialized surgical/implant clinic where implanted neuro-auditory devices are managed

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

CPT 92640: Auditory Brainstem Implant Programming and Analysis

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 92640 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 92640 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

Service type: Diagnostic programming and analysis of an implanted auditory brainstem hearing device
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, or specialized surgical/implant clinic where implanted neuro-auditory devices are managed

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss who previously received an implanted auditory brainstem implant (ABI) after cochlear nerve aplasia, neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor resection, or extensive cochlear nerve injury. The patient presents to an otology or neurotology clinic for device analysis, mapping and programming to optimize sound perception. The visit includes review of device integrity and telemetry, behavioral and objective audiometric testing (soundfield thresholds, speech perception measures), and clinician-driven adjustment of electrode stimulation levels and signal-processing parameters.

Pre-visit workflow includes device interrogation and review of prior programming maps. During the visit the provider evaluates wound status and skin overlying the implant, ensures external processor fit, obtains patient-reported outcomes and speech testing, and performs stepwise programming: measure impedance and electrically evoked auditory brainstem responses if indicated, set comfortable (C-level) and threshold (T-level) stimulation for electrodes, enable mute or deactivate electrodes with poor responses or non-auditory side effects, and document changes. Typical follow-up intervals are initial activation weeks after implantation, multiple adjustments in the early months, and routine annual or problem-focused visits thereafter. Typical site of service is an outpatient specialty clinic within an otolaryngology or neurotology practice; services may also occur in hospital outpatient departments for complex testing or same-day post-operative programming.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the physician’s professional interpretation and programming separate from technical device services.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component (equipment, technical staff) of the diagnostic programming service.
`59` not listed	---	---
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the programming session is incomplete or substantially reduced in scope due to patient factors.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the session is started but terminated for patient safety or intolerance.
`78`	Return to operating room for a related procedure by same physician	Use when intraoperative device reprogramming or adjustment is performed after initial surgery during the same global period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant provides support for a procedure that requires intraoperative programming or device adjustment.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons of different specialties perform concurrent aspects of device management requiring coding clarity.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when programming requires substantially greater physician work than typical, documented and justified.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use if the programming required unusual anesthesia when otherwise normally performed without it.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when programming is billed on the same day as unrelated procedures and payer requires multiple-procedure modifier.
`76`	---	---
`78` appears above	---	---
`AS`	Ambulatory surgical center facility fee	Use when reporting services furnished in an ambulatory surgical center context where the facility modifier is required.
`LT`	Left side	Use when laterality reporting is required and the device is on the left.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207Z00000X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Primary specialty that performs ABI programming and follow-up.
`2084P0800X`	Neurotology	Subspecialty of otolaryngology managing complex implants and mapping.
`125Q00000X`	Audiology	Audiologists commonly perform device testing, behavioral measures, and assist with mapping; may not bill private physician CPTs independently depending on payer.
`363A00000X`	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Occasionally involved for auditory rehabilitation and device-related therapy notes.
`163W00000X`	Neurology	Consultative role when central auditory pathway issues or post-surgical neurologic concerns arise.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Q16.8`	Other congenital malformations of ear	Congenital inner ear malformations (eg, cochlear nerve aplasia) that may necessitate an auditory brainstem implant when cochlear implantation is not possible.
`D33.3`	Benign neoplasm of cranial nerves	Tumors such as vestibular schwannoma associated with neurofibromatosis may damage cochlear nerve and lead to ABI placement.
`G12.9`	Motor neuron disease, unspecified	Progressive disorders affecting neural pathways where central auditory prostheses could be indicated in select cases (rare).
`H90.3`	Sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Typical functional indication for auditory prosthesis when severe to profound and not amenable to cochlear implant.
`G35`	Multiple sclerosis	Demyelinating disease that can impair auditory nerve function and in selected complex cases influence implant candidacy or programming needs.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`92626`	Evaluation of auditory rehabilitation with programming, imprinting, or mapping, each 15 minutes	Used by audiologists or providers for more detailed programming sessions or ongoing mapping visits closely related to ABI programming.
`92627`	Evaluation, programming, and modification of cochlear implant sound processor, each 15 minutes	Similar programming work for cochlear implants; often used in parallel workflows and referenced for billing guidance when ABI-specific codes are considered.
`92630`	Auditory rehabilitation; pre- and post-implantation assessment and training	Provides broader rehabilitation services that may be scheduled before or after ABI programming sessions.
`92650`	Evaluation of auditory-vestibular status, comprehensive (eg, evoked potentials, etc.)	Used when objective electrophysiologic testing (eg, electrically evoked auditory brainstem response) is performed in conjunction with programming.
`96127`	Brief emotional/behavioral assessment (eg, inventory, scoring)	May be used adjunctively when brief patient-reported outcome measures or screening are administered during the visit.

CPT 92642: Fitting of Assistive Hearing Technology

CPT-92651-AUDITORY-RESPONSE-HEARING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92651: Auditory Response Test for Hearing Assessment

CPT-92652-AUDIOLOGIC-THRESHOLD-ESTIMATION-MULTI-FREQUENCY

CPT 92652: Audiologic Threshold Estimation at Multiple Frequencies

CPT-92653-AUDITORY-EVOKED-RESPONSE-NEUROLOGIC-EVALUATION

CPT 92653: Auditory Evoked Response for Neurologic Evaluation

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 billing only the physician’s professional interpretation and programming separate from technical device services.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the technical component (equipment, technical staff) of the diagnostic programming service.
`59` not listed	---	---
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the programming session is incomplete or substantially reduced in scope due to patient factors.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the session is started but terminated for patient safety or intolerance.
`78`	Return to operating room for a related procedure by same physician	Use when intraoperative device reprogramming or adjustment is performed after initial surgery during the same global period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant provides support for a procedure that requires intraoperative programming or device adjustment.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons of different specialties perform concurrent aspects of device management requiring coding clarity.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when programming requires substantially greater physician work than typical, documented and justified.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use if the programming required unusual anesthesia when otherwise normally performed without it.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when programming is billed on the same day as unrelated procedures and payer requires multiple-procedure modifier.
`76`	---	---
`78` appears above	---	---
`AS`	Ambulatory surgical center facility fee	Use when reporting services furnished in an ambulatory surgical center context where the facility modifier is required.
`LT`	Left side	Use when laterality reporting is required and the device is on the left.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207Z00000X`	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Primary specialty that performs ABI programming and follow-up.
`2084P0800X`	Neurotology	Subspecialty of otolaryngology managing complex implants and mapping.
`125Q00000X`	Audiology	Audiologists commonly perform device testing, behavioral measures, and assist with mapping; may not bill private physician CPTs independently depending on payer.
`363A00000X`	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Occasionally involved for auditory rehabilitation and device-related therapy notes.
`163W00000X`	Neurology	Consultative role when central auditory pathway issues or post-surgical neurologic concerns arise.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Q16.8`	Other congenital malformations of ear	Congenital inner ear malformations (eg, cochlear nerve aplasia) that may necessitate an auditory brainstem implant when cochlear implantation is not possible.
`D33.3`	Benign neoplasm of cranial nerves	Tumors such as vestibular schwannoma associated with neurofibromatosis may damage cochlear nerve and lead to ABI placement.
`G12.9`	Motor neuron disease, unspecified	Progressive disorders affecting neural pathways where central auditory prostheses could be indicated in select cases (rare).
`H90.3`	Sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral	Typical functional indication for auditory prosthesis when severe to profound and not amenable to cochlear implant.
`G35`	Multiple sclerosis	Demyelinating disease that can impair auditory nerve function and in selected complex cases influence implant candidacy or programming needs.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`92626`	Evaluation of auditory rehabilitation with programming, imprinting, or mapping, each 15 minutes	Used by audiologists or providers for more detailed programming sessions or ongoing mapping visits closely related to ABI programming.
`92627`	Evaluation, programming, and modification of cochlear implant sound processor, each 15 minutes	Similar programming work for cochlear implants; often used in parallel workflows and referenced for billing guidance when ABI-specific codes are considered.
`92630`	Auditory rehabilitation; pre- and post-implantation assessment and training	Provides broader rehabilitation services that may be scheduled before or after ABI programming sessions.
`92650`	Evaluation of auditory-vestibular status, comprehensive (eg, evoked potentials, etc.)	Used when objective electrophysiologic testing (eg, electrically evoked auditory brainstem response) is performed in conjunction with programming.
`96127`	Brief emotional/behavioral assessment (eg, inventory, scoring)	May be used adjunctively when brief patient-reported outcome measures or screening are administered during the visit.

CPT 92642: Fitting of Assistive Hearing Technology

CPT-92651-AUDITORY-RESPONSE-HEARING-ASSESSMENT

CPT 92651: Auditory Response Test for Hearing Assessment

CPT-92652-AUDIOLOGIC-THRESHOLD-ESTIMATION-MULTI-FREQUENCY

CPT 92652: Audiologic Threshold Estimation at Multiple Frequencies

CPT-92653-AUDITORY-EVOKED-RESPONSE-NEUROLOGIC-EVALUATION

CPT 92653: Auditory Evoked Response for Neurologic Evaluation

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.

OpenPayer

CPT 92640: Auditory Brainstem Implant Programming and Analysis

Sign up for cpt 92640 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

OpenPayer

CPT 92640: Auditory Brainstem Implant Programming and Analysis

Sign up for cpt 92640 policy alerts

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