Summary & Overview
CPT 92650: Automated Auditory Evoked Potential Screening
CPT code 92650 denotes an automated auditory evoked potential screening that measures electrical responses to sound using frequency-nonspecific stimuli and automated analysis. This screening is used to detect hearing function noninvasively and is relevant across pediatric and adult diagnostic pathways, particularly for newborn hearing screens, patients with suspected hearing loss, or those unable to complete behavioral audiometry. Nationally, the code matters because it standardizes reporting for a widely used objective hearing assessment and affects coverage, facility workflows, and quality metrics in audiology services.
Key payers in this coverage context include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical intent and typical care settings, payer coverage considerations, common modifier usage (listed elsewhere), and benchmarks where available. The publication also summarizes coding context, typical sites of service, and administrative factors that influence billing and reimbursement for automated auditory evoked potential screening.
This piece is for a national audience and clarifies what 92650 represents, why it is used in clinical practice, and what operational and policy topics to watch related to coding, payer coverage, and service delivery for automated auditory evoked potential screening.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 92650 describes an automated screening procedure that measures a patient’s electrical auditory response to sound stimuli to detect hearing function. The screening uses frequency nonspecific stimuli and automated analysis to evaluate auditory evoked potentials.
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Service type: Automated auditory brainstem/evoked potential screening using frequency-nonspecific stimuli
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Typical site of service: Audiology clinic, hospital outpatient department, or other outpatient diagnostic facility where automated auditory evoked potential screening is performed
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a newborn or pediatric patient referred for hearing screening after failed otoacoustic emissions or as part of universal newborn hearing screening, or an adult with high-risk factors for hearing loss (e.g., ototoxic medication exposure, craniofacial anomalies, or reported hearing difficulty) undergoing automated auditory brainstem response screening. The clinical workflow: the patient is placed in a quiet environment or natural sleep; surface electrodes are applied to the scalp and earlobes; earphones or insert earphones deliver frequency-nonspecific click or tone-burst stimuli; the automated system records electrical responses and performs computerized analysis to determine pass/fail screening results; results are documented in the medical record and communicated to the ordering clinician for follow-up audiology evaluation or diagnostic auditory brainstem response testing if the screen is a refer/fail. Typical sites of service include hospital newborn nurseries, outpatient audiology clinics, pediatric offices, and ambulatory surgical centers where screening is performed as a brief, automated procedure.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier information | Rarely used; typically not appended when no special circumstance applies |
11 |