$114.73–$144.86
Use 95867 for needle EMG of cranial nerve-supplied muscles on one side. Use 92516 for the facial nerve function assessment rather than the needle EMG itself.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
92516 Facial nerve test Medicare reimbursement rates in California
A focused assessment of facial nerve motor function, reported when evaluating facial weakness, paralysis, or a suspected nerve injury. Compare 92516 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in California.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 92516 in California?
California has 29 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 29 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$80.70–$102.80
29 of 29 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Chico
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $22.10 per service.
Facility setting
$18.83–$21.41
29 of 29 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Chico
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $2.58 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 92516 pays more and less in California
29 payment localities
$80.70 to $102.80
Otolaryngology testing
About 92516: Facial nerve function assessment
A focused assessment of facial nerve motor function, reported when evaluating facial weakness, paralysis, or a suspected nerve injury.
This service evaluates facial nerve motor function, including the patient’s ability to move facial muscles and the symmetry of those movements. It is used in cases such as new facial weakness or paralysis, including suspected Bell palsy or facial nerve injury. Otolaryngologists and other clinicians evaluating facial nerve disorders may perform it in an office or facility setting. The findings can help characterize the deficit and guide further evaluation or treatment.
Report 92516 for a distinct facial nerve function assessment, not merely a brief facial inspection during a general visit. The record should identify the reason for testing, the facial movements or responses assessed, and the findings, including affected side and degree or pattern of weakness when documented. If needle electromyography is performed to assess cranial nerve-supplied muscles, distinguish that service from this functional assessment and report the applicable electrodiagnostic code. CMS payment facts supplied for this code do not specify additional payment-rule details.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.42 · 19%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.80 · 80%
- Malpractice RVU0.03 · 1%
269
Medicare services in 2024 · #4080 by national volume
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.
92516 compared with similar codes
Office rates for California, from the same CMS release.
$137.51–$171.83
Use 95868 for needle EMG of cranial nerve-supplied muscles on both sides. It is an electrodiagnostic service, not the facial nerve function assessment represented by 92516.
$78.10–$96.71
92517 evaluates cervical vestibular evoked myogenic responses. It assesses vestibular function, whereas 92516 evaluates facial nerve motor function.
Compare 92516 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | Office $80.80 | Facility $18.93 |
| Chico | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| El Centro | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.84 |
| Fresno | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $86.39 | Facility $19.62 |
| Madera | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Merced | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Modesto | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Napa | Office $94.66 | Facility $20.26 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $86.11 | Facility $19.39 |
| Redding | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Rest Of California | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $81.03 | Facility $19.16 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $84.99 | Facility $19.34 |
| Salinas | Office $84.68 | Facility $19.26 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $86.90 | Facility $19.39 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $100.59 | Facility $21.00 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $100.56 | Facility $20.97 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $102.80 | Facility $21.41 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $102.66 | Facility $21.27 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $83.28 | Facility $18.99 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $87.91 | Facility $19.32 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $85.06 | Facility $19.24 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $88.82 | Facility $19.50 |
| Stockton | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Vallejo | Office $94.61 | Facility $20.21 |
| Visalia | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
| Yuba City | Office $80.70 | Facility $18.83 |
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92516 billing questions
When is 92516 more appropriate than an ordinary examination?
Use it for a distinct assessment of facial nerve motor function, such as evaluating facial weakness or paralysis. A brief observation of facial symmetry within a general examination alone does not describe that service.
Is 92516 the same as facial muscle needle EMG?
No. Needle EMG records electrical activity in selected muscles; 92516 represents a facial nerve function assessment. If both are performed, the documentation should distinguish the services.
What findings should the record include?
Document the clinical reason for testing, the movements or responses assessed, and the findings. Record the affected side and any observed asymmetry or weakness.
Can an ear examination be reported on the same date?
A separate otomicroscopic ear examination may be reported when it is performed and documented as a distinct service. The facial nerve assessment alone does not establish that an ear examination occurred.
Should the claim identify which side is affected?
Document the side and relevant findings in the clinical record. The supplied CMS facts do not specify a laterality modifier for this code.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
11,78092508,,Tx sp lang voice comm group,A,,0.33,0.38,,0.38,NA,0.01,0.72,0.72,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78192511,,Nasopharyngoscopy,A,,0.59,2.84,,0.35,,0.04,3.47,0.98,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78292512,,Nasal function studies,A,,0.54,1.37,,0.12,,0.04,1.95,0.70,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78392516,,Facial nerve function test,A,,0.42,1.80,,0.11,,0.03,2.25,0.56,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78492517,,Vemp test i&r cervical,A,,0.78,1.40,,0.21,,0.02,2.20,1.01,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78592518,,Vemp test i&r ocular,A,,0.78,1.43,,0.22,,0.04,2.25,1.04,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,78692519,,Vemp tst i&r cervical&ocular,A,,1.17,2.32,,0.33,,0.03,3.52,1.53,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00