Billing code 92550: Middle-ear testingMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports tympanometry together with acoustic reflex threshold testing to assess middle-ear function, commonly during evaluation of hearing loss or suspected middle-ear dysfunction.
Medicare pays $20.73–$21.97 for 92550 in the office in Georgia, from Rest Of Georgia to Atlanta. 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.
On this page 9 sections
What 92550 covers
This service combines tympanometry, which measures middle-ear response to changes in ear-canal pressure, with acoustic reflex threshold testing, which checks the sound level that elicits a middle-ear muscle reflex. Audiologists commonly perform it in an audiology clinic or ENT practice when assessing hearing loss, abnormal middle-ear findings, or suspected eustachian tube or middle-ear dysfunction. Results help characterize middle-ear function alongside other hearing test findings.
Report 92550 when both tympanometry and reflex threshold measurements are performed; use a single-component code when only one of those tests is done. The record should identify the clinical reason for testing and include the findings for the measures performed. CMS prices this code as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. The professional component modifier does not apply; do not split the service into professional and technical claims using modifier 26.
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 92550 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $21.97 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | $20.73 | Unavailable |
How the 92550 rate is calculated
Each of 92550’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 · 92550
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.35
0.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.6500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$21.71
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 92550
The CMS indicators that decide how 92550 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 92550
Middle-ear testing
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 7 | Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier CQ · payment effect
With and without the modifier
92550 without CQ · national office
$21.71
Middle-ear testing
92550-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$21.71
Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.
92550 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 92567Tympanometry
- 92567 reports tympanometry alone. Choose 92550 when acoustic reflex threshold testing is also performed.
- 92568Acoustic reflex
- 92568 reports acoustic reflex threshold testing alone; 92550 combines that testing with tympanometry.
- 92557Comprehensive hearing test
- 92557 covers comprehensive hearing testing, including air- and bone-conduction and speech audiometry. It does not replace 92550 when both middle-ear measures are performed.
92550 billing questions
When should 92550 be reported instead of 92567?
Report 92550 when tympanometry and acoustic reflex threshold testing are both performed. Use 92567 when the service is tympanometry alone.
Can the reflex threshold test be billed separately with 92550?
92550 combines tympanometry and reflex threshold testing. Do not separately report the reflex measurement for the same work.
Should modifier 50 be appended when both ears are tested?
No. CMS prices 92550 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Can modifier 26 be used for the interpretation?
No. The CMS component rule states that the professional component modifier does not apply to this service.
What documentation supports reporting 92550?
Document the reason for testing and findings for both the tympanometry and acoustic reflex threshold measures 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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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