CPT code 92533: Caloric vestibular test, each irrigation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports each caloric ear-canal irrigation used to assess vestibular responses by observing eye movements during evaluation of dizziness or suspected vestibular dysfunction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 92533 in Massachusetts.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 92533 covers
Caloric vestibular testing uses warm or cool water or air introduced into the ear canal to stimulate vestibular responses. The examiner observes eye movements, including nystagmus, as part of an evaluation for dizziness, vertigo, or suspected vestibular dysfunction. Audiologists and otolaryngology clinicians commonly perform the test in audiology and otolaryngology settings.
For Medicare physician fee schedule purposes, 92533 has status B: Medicare does not pay it separately, and its payment is included in payment for other services. Report the code for each caloric irrigation performed. The record should identify the ear and stimulus and describe the observed eye-movement response. Codes 92537 and 92538 distinguish recorded bithermal and monothermal testing protocols; select among these codes based on the service performed.
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 92533 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 92533 rate is calculated
Each of 92533’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 · 92533
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 92533
92533 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 92533
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
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92533 isn’t priced in this setting.
92533 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 92537Caloric testWith eye-movement recording
- 92537 describes recorded bithermal caloric testing. Use 92533 to report each irrigation when that more specific recorded-testing protocol is not the service performed.
- 92538Caloric vestibular testUnilateral, with recording
- 92538 describes recorded monothermal caloric testing. Use 92533 to report each irrigation when that more specific recorded-testing protocol is not the service performed.
- 92532Positional nystagmusWithout recording
- 92532 is positional nystagmus testing. Code 92533 uses caloric stimulation through ear-canal irrigation to assess vestibular responses.
92533 billing questions
What does one unit represent?
One unit represents one caloric irrigation. Identify the ear and stimulus used for each irrigation in the record.
How does 92533 differ from 92537 and 92538?
Codes 92537 and 92538 describe recorded bithermal and monothermal caloric testing, respectively. Choose the code that matches the testing protocol performed.
Does Medicare pay 92533 separately?
No. Medicare assigns status B, so payment for 92533 is included in payment for other services.
Is caloric testing the same as positional nystagmus testing?
No. Caloric testing stimulates vestibular responses through ear-canal irrigation; 92532 evaluates nystagmus with positional testing.
What should the record show?
Identify the ear irrigated and the stimulus used, and describe the observed eye-movement response.
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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