CPT 2026 Update: New Audiology Coding for Hearing Aid Services
The American Medical Association (AMA) has issued CPT 2026, introducing a major revision to coding for professional hearing aid and hearing device-related services. This annual update replaces the legacy CPT codes 92590–92595 with a new suite of 12 codes designed to more accurately capture the complexity and breadth of contemporary audiological treatment services.
Key Changes for Medical Coders:
- Replacement of Legacy Codes: Codes 92590–92595 are deleted and replaced by a family of 12 new CPT codes.
- No Impact on Device Codes: This update applies only to CPT codes for professional services and does not affect the HCPCS V codes used for billing the hearing aid devices themselves.
- New Code Paradigm: The new codes are now located in the “Evaluative and Therapeutic Services” section, shifting away from the prescriptive, diagnostic approach. This provides clinicians with greater flexibility to select services based on individual patient needs, covering areas like candidacy determination, selection, fitting, verification, and follow-up.
| CPT Code | CPT Long Descriptor |
| 92628 | Evaluation for hearing aid candidacy, unilateral or bilateral, including review and integration of audiologic function tests, assessment, and interpretation of hearing needs (eg, speech-in- noise, suprathreshold hearing measures), discussion of candidacy results, counseling on treatment options with report, and, when performed, assessment of cognitive and communication status; first 30 minutes (Do not report 92628 in conjunction with 92631, 92632, 92636, 92637, 92642) (Do not report 92628 in conjunction with 92622, 92623, 92626, 92627, if performed on the same ear) (For hearing testing, see 92550-92588) |
| +92629 | each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92629 in conjunction with 92628) |
| 92631 | Hearing aid selection services, unilateral or bilateral, including review of audiologic function tests and hearing aid candidacy evaluation, assessment of visual and dexterity limitations, and psychosocial factors, establishment of device type, output requirements, signal processing strategies and additional features, discussion of device recommendations with report; first 30 minutes (Do not report 92631 in conjunction with 92628, 92629, 92636, 92637, 92642) (Do not report 92631 in conjunction with 92622, 92623, 92626, 92627, if performed on the same ear) (For hearing testing, see 92550-92588) |
| +92632 | each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92632 in conjunction with 92631) |
| 92634 | Hearing aid fitting services, unilateral or bilateral, including device analysis, programming, verification, counseling, orientation, and training, and, when performed, hearing assistive device, supplemental technology fitting services; first 60 minutes (Do not report 92634 in conjunction with 92636, 92637, 92642) |
| +92635 | each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92635 in conjunction with 92634) |
| 92636 | Hearing aid post-fitting follow-up services, unilateral or bilateral, including confirmation of physical fit, validation of patient benefit and performance, sound quality of device, adjustment(s) (eg, verification, programming adjustment[s], device connection[s], and device training), as indicated, and, when performed, hearing assistive device, supplemental technology fitting services; first 30 minutes (Do not report 92636 in conjunction with 92628, 92639, 92631, 92632, 92634, 92635, 92642) |
| +92637 | each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92637 in conjunction with 92636) |
| +92638 | Behavioral verification of amplification including aided thresholds, functional gain, speech in noise, when performed (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92638 in conjunction with 92634, 92636) (Do not include the time for 92638 within the overall time used for reporting 92634, 92636) |
| +92639 | Hearing-aid measurement, verification with probe-microphone (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) (Use 92639 in conjunction with 92634, 92635) (Do not include the time for 92639 within the overall time used for reporting 92634, 92636) |
| 92641 | Hearing device verification, electroacoustic analysis (Do not include the time for 92641 within the overall time used for reporting 92634, 92636)(For unilateral procedure, report 92641 with modifier 52) |
| 92642 | Hearing assistive device, supplemental technology fitting services (eg, personal frequency modulation [FM]/digital modulation [DM] system, remote microphone, alerting devices) (Do not report 92642 in conjunction with 92631, 92632, 92634, 92635, 92636, 92637, 92638, 92639) |
- Time-Based Coding: A significant number of the new codes are time-based, requiring accurate documentation of the total time spent with the patient on the date of service to meet specific minimum time thresholds for billing.
- Medicare Exclusion Remains: Like the legacy codes, the new hearing device services codes are generally statutorily excluded from Medicare coverage. They also do not have assigned Relative Value Units (RVUs) under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), allowing for customized negotiation of payment rates with commercial payers.
Time-Based Coding Minimum Thresholds
For the time-based codes, medical coders must ensure the documented time meets the following minimum requirements:
| CPT Code | Service Descriptor | Time in Code (Minutes) | Minimum Time to Report (Minutes) |
| 92628 | Evaluation for hearing aid candidacy | 30 | 16-37 |
| +92629 | Evaluation for hearing aid candidacy | 15 | Each additional 15 minutes starting at 38 minutes |
| 92631 | Hearing aid selection | 30 | 16-37 |
| +92632 | Hearing aid selection | 15 | Each additional 15 minutes starting at 38 minutes |
| 92634 | Hearing aid fitting | 60 | 31-67 |
| +92635 | Hearing aid fitting | 15 | Each additional 15 minutes starting at 68 minutes |
| 92636 | Hearing aid post-fitting follow-up services | 30 | 16-37 |
| +92637 | Hearing aid post-fitting follow-up services | 15 | Each additional 15 minutes starting at 38 minutes |
| +92638 | Behavioral verification | Not time-based | Not time-based |
| +92639 | Probe-microphone verification | Not time-based | Not time-based |
| 92641 | Electroacoustic analysis verification | Not time-based | Not time-based |
| 92642 | Hearing assistive devices services | Not time-based | Not time-based |
