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Assessing hearing in infants and young children is a routine part of many audiology practices and confusion abounds regarding the appropriate procedure code to report. The following questions and answers provide information about the valuation process for the procedures.
Q When testing an Infant using visual reinforcement audiometry [(VRA). CPT© 92579]. or testing a child using conditioning play audiometry [(CPA). CPT 92582], is it appropriate to use separate codes for speech audiometry threshold (CPT 92555)?
When performing VRA, bill only code 92579. When performing CPA (92582), you can also bill for speech threshold (92555). Why? Because speech-awareness threshold is included as part of the CPT valuation for 92579, but 92582 represents only the audiogram obtained and does not include any speech testing.
The CPT helps describe a procedure or understand its features and a typical use of each code or procedure. The VRA includes a speech-detection threshold as an integral part of the procedure. VRA most often refers formally or informally to air-conduction threshold estimates because of the age, attention span, and typical fatigue level of the patient. On some occasions, however, bone conduction is obtained successfully using VRA. In that instance, either VRA or 92553 can be reported, but not both.
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