CPT code 92616: Swallow evaluation, laryngeal sensory testing2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

Medicare pays $244.62–$307.51 for 92616 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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.

What 92616 covers

A clinician passes a flexible endoscope through the nose to view the pharynx and larynx during swallowing. The examination includes sensory testing by delivering stimuli to the laryngeal adductor mechanism and evaluating the response. Speech-language pathologists and otolaryngologists commonly perform or participate in this assessment in outpatient clinics, hospitals, and other settings where swallowing disorders are evaluated. Recorded views help document findings such as airway protection, residue, and the response to sensory stimulation.

Report 92616 for the endoscopic swallowing evaluation that includes this laryngeal sensory testing, rather than a swallowing assessment without endoscopy or sensory testing. The record should identify the endoscopic examination, the stimuli administered, observed sensory responses, swallowing findings, and the clinical interpretation. When the work is divided and only interpretation and reporting are performed, 92617 is the related code to consider. CMS values 92616 under the Physician Fee Schedule using work, practice-expense, and malpractice inputs; practice-expense values differ by office and facility setting.

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 92616 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 92616 rate is calculated

Each of 92616’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 92616

92616 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.

92616 compared with similar codes

How to choose

92612Swallowing endoscopyVideo-recorded study

Use 92612 for endoscopic swallowing evaluation without the laryngeal sensory-testing service. 92616 includes administration and evaluation of sensory stimuli to the laryngeal adductor mechanism.

92614Laryngeal sensory testVideo recording

Both involve endoscopic swallowing assessment and sensory testing, but 92616 identifies sensory testing through stimuli to the laryngeal adductor mechanism. Match the code to the documented procedure.

92617FEES interpretationWith sensory testing

92616 describes the endoscopic evaluation with sensory testing; 92617 is for interpretation and reporting only when that work is performed separately.

92611Swallow studyFluoroscopic evaluation

92611 evaluates swallowing with motion fluoroscopy. 92616 uses flexible endoscopy and includes laryngeal sensory testing.

Codes related to 92616

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates