Billing code 92522: Speech evaluationMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
A speech-language pathologist evaluates speech sound skills to identify articulation, phonological, or motor-speech impairments and guide treatment planning.
Medicare pays $107.86 for 92522 in the office in Ohio (Ohio). 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 92522 covers
A speech-language pathologist uses this evaluation to assess how a patient produces speech sounds, including patterns of sound substitutions or omissions, reduced intelligibility, and motor-speech difficulties such as apraxia or dysarthria. The assessment may include structured tasks and speech samples suited to the patient’s age and communication abilities. It is commonly performed in an outpatient speech-language pathology clinic, hospital outpatient department, or physician office when a patient has concerns such as persistent speech sound errors or impaired intelligibility.
Report 92522 when the documented evaluation focuses on speech sound production. The record should identify the communication concern, assessment findings, functional effects, and clinical conclusions supporting the need for care. Use 92523 when the evaluation also includes language comprehension and expression; a fluency-focused or voice-focused evaluation is represented by a different code. This is a therapy service, so a professional-component modifier does not apply. Under the CMS therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units furnished on the same day.
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.
92522 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $107.86 | Unavailable |
How the 92522 rate is calculated
Each of 92522’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 · 92522
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.92Practice expense 1.39Malpractice 0.04
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 92522
The CMS indicators that decide how 92522 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 92522
Speech evaluation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 5 | Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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
92522 without CQ · national office
$111.89
Speech evaluation
92522-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$111.89
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.
92522 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
92522 vs 92523 vs 92521 vs 92524: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 92523Speech-language evaluation
- 92522 focuses on speech sound production; 92523 is appropriate when language comprehension and expression are evaluated as part of the assessment.
- 92521Speech evaluation
- Use 92521 for a fluency evaluation, such as assessment of stuttering. Use 92522 for speech sound production concerns.
- 92524Voice evaluation
- 92524 addresses voice quality and related voice characteristics. 92522 addresses how speech sounds are produced.
92522 billing questions
When should 92522 be chosen instead of 92523?
Choose 92522 when the evaluation addresses speech sound production. Use 92523 when the evaluation also assesses language comprehension and expression.
How does 92522 differ from 92521?
92522 evaluates speech sound production, while 92521 addresses speech fluency, such as stuttering or related fluency concerns.
Can 92522 and 92523 be reported for the same evaluation?
Do not report both for the same evaluation work. 92523 includes speech sound production assessment along with language comprehension and expression assessment.
Does modifier 26 apply to 92522?
No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which the professional-component modifier does not apply.
What documentation supports reporting 92522?
Document the speech sound concerns assessed, relevant findings such as sound errors or reduced intelligibility, and the clinical conclusions supporting the evaluation.
How does the therapy multiple procedure reduction affect 92522?
When it is the second or a later therapy unit on the same day, CMS reduces the practice expense portion under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction.
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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