Billing code 92540: Vestibular evaluationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a basic vestibular test battery assessing eye movements and positional responses during evaluation of dizziness, vertigo, or balance symptoms.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities73.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $103.54 for 92540 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $95.59–$132.51.

Medicare rate · 92540

Vestibular evaluation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
1.46
Total RVUs
3.10
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$103.54

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 92540 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 92540 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 92540 covers

This code represents a basic vestibular battery that evaluates eye movements and responses to changes in gaze, visual tracking, and head or body position. The included test elements are spontaneous nystagmus with gaze and fixation, positional nystagmus, oscillating tracking, and optokinetic nystagmus. Audiologists and otolaryngology or neurotology clinicians commonly perform or interpret these tests in outpatient settings when assessing dizziness, vertigo, or balance complaints.

Report 92540 when the documented service includes the basic battery, rather than when only an individual test is performed. The record should identify the tests conducted and support the clinician’s interpretation of the findings. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service. The listed modifiers are separately priced under the CMS facts for this code.

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 92540 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$95.59 to $132.51

$95.59$114.05$132.51
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

92540 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$96.49Unavailable
Alaska*$131.14Unavailable
Arizona$101.77Unavailable
Arkansas$95.59Unavailable
Atlanta$104.69Unavailable
Austin$106.70Unavailable
Bakersfield$109.40Unavailable
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$108.43Unavailable
Beaumont$98.63Unavailable
Brazoria$103.30Unavailable

92540 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$95.59

$131.14

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
92540 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$131.141
AL$96.491
AR$95.591
AZ$101.771
CA$109.26–$132.5129
CO$107.441
CT$108.821
DC$115.881
DE$103.071
FL$101.50–$106.783
GA$97.83–$104.692
GU$110.671
HI$110.671
IA$98.541
ID$98.861
IL$99.21–$105.864
IN$99.251
KS$98.021
KY$97.481
LA$97.29–$100.442
MA$107.06–$115.972
MD$104.62–$115.883
ME$98.96–$102.812
MI$98.92–$102.112
MN$104.641
MO$96.06–$100.953
MS$95.851
MT$103.541
NC$99.681
ND$103.151
NE$98.961
NH$105.681
NJ$110.54–$115.322
NM$99.191
NV$103.491
NY$100.64–$117.465
OH$98.841
OK$97.601
OR$103.13–$110.162
PA$99.07–$106.772
PR$104.131
RI$106.181
SC$99.331
SD$103.101
TN$98.311
TX$98.63–$106.708
UT$100.231
VA$102.43–$115.882
VI$104.131
VT$102.671
WA$106.88–$118.142
WI$100.811
WV$96.741
WY$103.371

How the 92540 rate is calculated

Each of 92540’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 · 92540

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 1.46Practice expense 1.62Malpractice 0.02

3.1000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$103.54

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 92540

The CMS indicators that decide how 92540 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 92540

Vestibular evaluation

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

92540 without 26 · national office

$103.54

Vestibular evaluation

92540-26 · Professional component

$74.48

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

92540 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

92540 vs 92541 vs 92542 vs 92544 vs 92545: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 92540
    Vestibular evaluation · 1.46 wRVU
    $103.54
  • 92541
    Nystagmus test · 0.39 wRVU
    $24.72−$78.82
  • 92542
    Positional nystagmus · 0.47 wRVU
    $28.39−$75.15
  • 92544
    Vestibular test · 0.26 wRVU
    $17.70−$85.84
  • 92545
    Vestibular test · 0.24 wRVU
    $16.70−$86.84

How to choose

92541Nystagmus test
92541 is for spontaneous nystagmus testing alone; 92540 represents the broader battery that includes it along with three other test elements.
92542Positional nystagmus
92542 covers positional nystagmus testing alone. Choose 92540 when the documented service includes the basic battery.
92544Vestibular test
92544 is the standalone optokinetic nystagmus test; that test is one element of the broader 92540 battery.
92545Vestibular test
92545 reports oscillating tracking testing alone, while 92540 covers that test as part of the basic vestibular battery.

92540 billing questions

When should 92540 be chosen instead of 92541 or 92542?

Use 92540 for the basic battery, which includes spontaneous and positional nystagmus testing along with tracking and optokinetic testing. Use an individual test code when only that standalone test is performed.

Can the individual tests included in 92540 also be reported separately?

The basic battery includes spontaneous nystagmus, positional nystagmus, oscillating tracking, and optokinetic testing. Do not separately report those same included test elements as standalone services for the same evaluation.

What do modifiers 26 and TC identify for this code?

Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, while modifier TC reports the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

What documentation supports reporting the basic battery?

Document which included test elements were performed and the findings and interpretation. A record describing only one component test supports consideration of its individual code instead.

Does 92540 include caloric testing?

No. Caloric vestibular testing is a separate test service; it is not one of the four elements in the basic battery.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 92540PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 11,803 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 92540 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 92540 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →