$44.11–$57.98
92552 is limited to air-conduction pure-tone testing. Choose 92553 when bone-conduction thresholds are also obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
92553 Audiometry Medicare reimbursement rates in California
Reports pure-tone hearing threshold testing by air and bone conduction when both measures are performed to evaluate hearing sensitivity and loss type. Compare 92553 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 92553 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
$53.63–$70.50
29 of 29 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Chico
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $16.87 per service.
Facility setting
No supported rate
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 92553 pays more and less in California
29 payment localities
$53.63 to $70.50
Audiology
About 92553: Pure-tone air and bone audiometry
Reports pure-tone hearing threshold testing by air and bone conduction when both measures are performed to evaluate hearing sensitivity and loss type.
This test measures the softest tones a patient can hear at selected frequencies using air-conduction and bone-conduction methods. Comparing the results helps characterize hearing sensitivity and distinguish a conductive component from sensorineural loss. Audiologists commonly perform the testing in an audiology clinic, ENT practice, or other setting equipped for diagnostic hearing assessment. The resulting thresholds are recorded on an audiogram for the ordering or treating clinician to use in evaluating hearing concerns.
Report 92553 when both air- and bone-conduction pure-tone thresholds are obtained. The record should support the medical reason for testing and include the test results for each ear. CMS classifies this as a technical-component-only code; a separate code represents interpretation when that service is performed. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Speech testing and middle-ear measures are distinct services and should be reported separately only when performed and supported by the record.
CMS billing rules for 92553
- Professional and technical components
- Technical-component-only code: a separate code covers interpretation.
- Bilateral procedures
- The code is already priced as bilateral; modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.00 · 0%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.46 · 99%
- Malpractice RVU0.01 · 1%
35.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #919 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.
92553 compared with similar codes
Office rates for California, from the same CMS release.
$37.40–$44.58
92557 represents comprehensive audiometry, including pure-tone and speech testing. 92553 reports air- and bone-conduction pure-tone thresholds only.
$32.39–$42.56
92555 measures speech-recognition threshold; it is not a pure-tone threshold test. Use 92553 for air- and bone-conduction tone thresholds.
$50.70–$66.65
92556 covers speech audiometry with speech recognition testing. It does not substitute for the pure-tone air- and bone-conduction testing reported with 92553.
Compare 92553 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 $53.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $57.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $64.44 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $57.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $53.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $56.89 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $56.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $58.50 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $68.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $68.90 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $70.50 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $70.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $55.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $59.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $57.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $60.06 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $64.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $53.63 | Facility Unavailable |
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92553 billing questions
When should 92553 be chosen instead of 92552?
Use 92553 when the test includes both air- and bone-conduction thresholds. 92552 covers pure-tone air-conduction testing alone.
Is 92553 the same as a comprehensive hearing test?
No. 92553 covers pure-tone air- and bone-conduction thresholds; 92557 is the comprehensive audiometry service that also includes speech audiometry.
Should modifier 50 be added for testing both ears?
No. CMS prices 92553 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Does 92553 include interpretation?
CMS classifies 92553 as technical-component-only. A separate code represents interpretation when that service is performed.
Can speech audiometry be reported with 92553?
Yes, when speech testing is separately performed and documented. 92555 covers speech-threshold testing, while 92556 covers speech audiometry with speech recognition testing.
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.
11,82892550,,Tympanometry & reflex thresh,A,,0.35,0.29,,0.29,NA,0.01,0.65,0.65,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,82992551,,Pure tone hearing test air,N,+,0.00,0.39,,0.39,NA,0.01,0.40,0.40,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,83092552,,Pure tone audiometry air,A,,0.00,1.20,,1.20,NA,0.01,1.21,1.21,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,83192553,,Audiometry air & bone,A,,0.00,1.46,,1.46,NA,0.01,1.47,1.47,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,83292555,,Speech threshold audiometry,A,,0.00,0.88,,0.88,NA,0.01,0.89,0.89,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,83392556,,Speech audiometry complete,A,,0.00,1.38,,1.38,NA,0.01,1.39,1.39,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,83492557,,Comprehensive hearing test,A,,0.60,0.46,,0.16,,0.01,1.07,0.77,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00