$39.85
92552 reports pure-tone air-conduction hearing measurement. Choose 92596 for evaluation of ear protectors, not for threshold testing.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
92596 Ear protection Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
An audiologist evaluates ear protectors, such as plugs or earmuffs, for patients who need hearing protection in occupational, recreational, or other noisy settings. Compare 92596 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
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 92596 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$77.21
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Audiology
About 92596: Ear protector evaluation
An audiologist evaluates ear protectors, such as plugs or earmuffs, for patients who need hearing protection in occupational, recreational, or other noisy settings.
An audiologist evaluates ear protectors for a person who needs protection from hazardous or otherwise excessive sound. The service may involve assessing the suitability and fit of plugs or earmuffs for the patient’s intended use, such as workplace noise exposure or loud music. It is distinct from testing hearing thresholds and from evaluating devices that amplify sound. Audiology practices and hearing-conservation settings are typical places for this service.
Report 92596 for the ear-protector evaluation itself, with documentation identifying the protection need and the evaluation performed. CMS classifies the code as technical-component-only; a separate code covers interpretation. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Do not treat the service as a hearing aid evaluation or substitute a hearing test code when the documented work is evaluation of protective devices.
CMS billing rules for 92596
- 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) RVU2.33 · 100%
- Malpractice RVU0.01 · 0%
100
Medicare services in 2024 · #4888 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.
92596 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
$70.52
92597 evaluates use or fitting of a device that supports oral speech. 92596 concerns ear protection from sound.
Compare 92596 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
$77.21
Facility
Unavailable
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 92596 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
11,857
- Code
- 92596
- Physician work
- 0.00
- Practice expense
- 2.33
- Malpractice
- 0.01
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.00 | × 1.000 | 0.0000 |
| Practice expense | 2.33 | × 0.990 | 2.3067 |
| Malpractice | 0.01 | × 0.506 | 0.0051 |
| Total RVUs | 2.3118 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Vermont$77.21
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 2.33 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.01 | 0.506 |
(0 × 1 + 2.33 × 0.99 + 0.01 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $77.21
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
92596 billing questions
When should 92596 be reported instead of a hearing test code?
Report 92596 when the service evaluates ear protectors, such as plugs or earmuffs. Use an audiometry code when the documented service measures hearing rather than evaluates protection.
Is 92596 billed for one ear or both?
CMS prices 92596 as bilateral. Modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Can a professional component be billed for 92596?
CMS classifies 92596 as technical-component-only, with interpretation covered by a separate code. The code itself does not represent a professional component.
What documentation supports 92596?
Document the patient’s need for hearing protection, the ear protectors evaluated, and the evaluation performed. The record should make clear that the service concerns protective devices rather than hearing amplification.
Can audiometry be reported at the same encounter?
A separately performed hearing test may be reported under its applicable code when documented. The ear-protector evaluation and the hearing measurement are distinct services.
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.
11,85492588,,Evoked auditory tst complete,A,,0.55,0.44,,0.44,NA,0.02,1.01,1.01,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,85592588,26,Evoked auditory tst complete,A,,0.55,0.30,,0.30,,0.01,0.86,0.86,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,85692588,TC,Evoked auditory tst complete,A,,0.00,0.14,,0.14,NA,0.01,0.15,0.15,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,85792596,,Ear protector evaluation,A,,0.00,2.33,,2.33,NA,0.01,2.34,2.34,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,85892597,,Oral speech device eval,A,,1.23,0.88,,0.88,NA,0.02,2.13,2.13,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,85992601,,Cochlear implt f/up exam <7,A,,2.30,2.31,,0.63,,0.01,4.62,2.94,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
11,86092602,,Reprogram cochlear implt <7,A,,1.30,1.60,,0.36,,0.01,2.91,1.67,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817