CPT code 92284: Dark adaptation, diagnostic examination2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Pennsylvania
A diagnostic dark-adaptation study evaluates recovery of visual sensitivity in darkness, typically when symptoms or findings raise concern for impaired rod function.
Medicare pays $31.14–$34.31 for 92284 in the office in Pennsylvania, from Rest of Pennsylvania to Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 92284 covers
This examination measures how visual sensitivity recovers after the eyes move from light into darkness. Ophthalmologists and optometrists may use it when a patient reports difficulty seeing in dim conditions or when findings raise concern about retinal rod function. Testing is generally performed in an eye-care office with dark-adaptation equipment; the service includes interpretation and a report of the diagnostic findings.
Report 92284 for diagnostic testing, rather than the screening measurement represented by 92288. Documentation should identify the clinical reason for testing and include the results and interpretation. The code may be billed globally, or the professional interpretation and technical testing may be billed separately with modifiers 26 and TC. When multiple ophthalmic diagnostic procedures are performed, the Medicare multiple-procedure reduction applies to the technical component. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 92284 pays more and less in Pennsylvania
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA | $34.31 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Pennsylvania | $31.14 | Unavailable |
How the 92284 rate is calculated
Each of 92284’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 92284
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.28
0.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.69
0.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.9900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$33.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 92284
The CMS indicators that decide how 92284 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 92284
Dark adaptation, diagnostic examination
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 7 | Diagnostic ophthalmology reduction applies to the technical component. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
92284 without 26 · national office
$33.07
Dark adaptation, diagnostic examination
92284-26 · Professional component
$13.69
Pays only the interpretation and report.
92284 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 92288Dark adaptationScreening
- 92284 is the diagnostic dark-adaptation examination; 92288 is the screening measurement. The clinical purpose distinguishes the two.
- 92273Full-field ERGWith interpretation and report
- 92273 records full-field retinal electrical activity. Choose it when that response is being tested, rather than recovery of visual sensitivity in darkness.
- 92274Multifocal ERGInterpretation and report
- 92274 evaluates multifocal retinal electrical responses across the retina. It is not a dark-adaptation measurement.
- 92283Color vision examExtended testing
- 92283 is an extended color-vision examination; 92284 evaluates adaptation to darkness and related visual sensitivity.
92284 billing questions
When should 92284 be used instead of 92288?
Use 92284 for a diagnostic dark-adaptation examination prompted by symptoms or clinical findings. Code 92288 describes a screening dark-adaptation measurement.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Does modifier 50 increase payment for testing both eyes?
No. CMS prices 92284 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 92284?
When multiple ophthalmic diagnostic procedures are performed, the reduction applies to the technical component of 92284.
What documentation supports reporting 92284?
The record should support the diagnostic reason for testing and contain the dark-adaptation findings and interpretation. A screening service is reported with 92288 instead.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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