Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Question: What codes should we submit when our physicians interpret and provide a report for auditory brainstem response (ABR), electronystagmography (ENG), and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) services?

Arizona Subscriber

Answer: The following CPT^® codes for ABR, ENG, and OAE services have separately defined technical (TC) and professional components (PC):

• 92541 (Spontaneous nystagmus test, including gaze and fixation nystagmus, with recording)
• 92542 (Positional nystagmus test, minimum of 4 positions, with recording)
• 92544 (Optokinetic nystagmus test, bidirectional, foveal or peripheral stimulation, with recording)
• 92545 (Oscillating tracking test, with recording)
• 92546 (Sinusoidal vertical axis rotational testing)
• 92548 (Computerized dynamic posturography sensory organization test (CDP-SOT), 6 conditions … including interpretation and report)
• 92587 (Distortion product evoked otoacoustic emissions; limited evaluation … or transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, with interpretation and report)
• 92588 (Distortion product evoked otoacoustic emissions; comprehensive diagnostic evaluation … with interpretation and report)

When your physicians only furnish the interpretation and results, you can report the professional component of the test by appending modifier 26 (Professional component) to the applicable code. The audiologist (if they’re employed by a facility) or the facility that owns the equipment would bill the technical component using modifier TC (Technical component).

Note: If the physician or practice owns the audiometric equipment in the office and the staff performing the test (i.e., audiologist or audio technician directly supervised by the physician) works for the practice, do not append any modifiers to the CPT^® codes. In this case, the physician or practice is entitled to reimbursement for both the professional and technical components.