Otolaryngology Coding Alert

In the article, "CPT® 2012: Is Your Audiologist Performing OAE Testing? Check Out New Code" featured in the Otolaryngology Coding Alert, volume 13, number 12, you'll see a typo.

Debbie Abel, Au.D., director of reimbursement and practice compliance, American Academy of Audiology in Reston, VA, references new code 92558 (Evoked otoacoustic emissions, screening [qualitative measurement of distortion product or transient evoked otoacoustic emissions], automated analysis) that will describe the automated analysis of evoked OAE.

She says, "I'm not happy about reimbursement (or lack of) that they will receive, especially 92588." This quote is supposed to refer to the reduction for the new code for automated OAE (92558) only, not 92587 and 92588. Their reimbursement remains the same.

To add some further information, the new code for 2012 (92558) is for automated analysis, which gives a pass/fail result. This service will probably be performed in a pediatrician's or family practitioner's office. Patients with a "fail" result will then be referred to an otolaryngologist for further evaluation.