CPT 92587

Understanding CPT Code 92587: Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)

CPT code 92587 covers a limited otoacoustic emissions test — a quick, painless check of how well the tiny hair cells in your inner ear (cochlea) are working. It's the same test used in newborn hearing screenings and a key tool for diagnosing sensorineural hearing loss.

What Medicare Pays vs. What You Might Be Charged
Category Amount
Medicare Allowed Rate What Medicare approves for this service $25.50
Typical Billed Amount What providers commonly charge $40 – $120
Potential Markup How much more you might pay vs. Medicare rate ~270% above Medicare
Why the difference? Providers set their own prices. Without insurance, you may be billed the full amount. Even with insurance, your co-pay is often based on the provider's charge — not the Medicare rate.

What CPT 92587 Means and When It's Used

CPT code 92587 covers a limited otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test. A small probe is placed in the ear canal, plays a soft series of clicks, and measures the faint sound that healthy inner-ear hair cells emit back. If the cells are working, you "pass." If they aren't, the response is reduced or absent — a sign of sensorineural hearing loss.

You'll see 92587 most often in newborn hearing screening (most U.S. states require it before discharge) and in workups for sudden hearing loss, noise exposure, ototoxic medications, or unexplained tinnitus. The test is fast, painless, and doesn't require the patient to respond — which makes it especially useful for infants, young children, and adults who can't reliably respond to a button-press hearing test.

"Limited" means the test screens or measures emissions at a few frequencies. The "comprehensive" version is CPT 92588, which measures across many frequencies and produces a more detailed picture of inner-ear function.

Understanding Your Bill for CPT 92587

Charges for CPT 92587 typically range from $40 to $120. Medicare's national allowed amount is approximately $25.50. As with most short audiology codes, the percentage markup over Medicare can look large even though the absolute dollars are modest.

92587 is rarely billed alone for adults. It usually appears alongside CPT 92557 (comprehensive audiometry) and sometimes 92567 (tympanometry) as part of a full hearing workup. For newborns, 92587 may be the only audiology code on the bill — and is generally well-covered by insurance under preventive newborn screening benefits.

Original Medicare covers 92587 when a physician orders it for diagnostic reasons. Hearing screenings done without a referring concern are generally not covered, so check whether the visit was billed as diagnostic or screening.

How to Verify Your CPT 92587 Charges

The OAE test is distinctive — a soft probe in the ear that plays a brief series of clicks. If the appointment didn't include this, ask the billing department for the audiologist's notes.

Watch for billing both 92587 (limited) and 92588 (comprehensive) for the same ear in the same session. Only one of these is appropriate per ear per visit. Likewise, billing 92587 multiple times for the same ear is generally not correct.

For newborn screenings, confirm the test was performed in the hospital before discharge — many state programs make this a covered preventive service. If your bill includes 92587 as a non-preventive charge for a newborn, ask whether the billing should be reclassified.

Billing alert: Watch for CPT 92587 and CPT 92588 billed for the same ear in the same visit. Only one OAE level (limited or comprehensive) is appropriate per ear per session.

Codes Often Confused With CPT 92587

CPT 92557 CPT 92567 CPT 92625

This billing code often appears alongside these diagnosis codes on insurance claims:

H91.90
Hearing Loss, Unspecified
H90.71
Mixed Hearing Loss
H93.19
Tinnitus
H81.09
Meniere Disease

Browse all diagnosis codes →

Frequently Asked Questions

CPT 92587 typically costs between $40–$120, with Medicare's national allowed amount around $25.50. The test is brief — usually just a few minutes per ear — and is often billed alongside other audiology codes.
Yes. OAE testing is one of two technologies used in U.S. newborn hearing screening programs (the other is automated auditory brainstem response). 92587 specifically covers the limited version of the OAE test.
CPT 92587 is the limited OAE test (screens at a few frequencies). CPT 92588 is the comprehensive version that measures emissions across many frequencies. Both should not be billed for the same ear in the same session.

Related Diagnosis Codes

These ICD-10 diagnosis codes are commonly paired with CPT 92587 on medical bills:

H91.90 — Hearing Loss, Unspecified H90.71 — Mixed Hearing Loss H93.19 — Tinnitus H81.09 — Meniere Disease

Sources