Otolaryngology Coding Alert

The December 2004 Otolaryngology Coding Alert article "These 3 New Codes Help You Avoid Unlisted- Procedure Filing Hassles" omitted audiologists from 92625's explanation.
 
The sections on tinnitus assessments (Assessment of tinnitus [includes pitch, loudness matching, and masking]) should have stated:
 
"The new code will provide otolaryngology and audiology practices with a reimbursement mechanism for these procedures," says Debbie Abel, AuD, chair of the American Academy of Audiology's Coding and Practice Management Committee.
 
In a tinnitus assessment, an audiologist performs tinnitus matching, Abel says. Coders should look for a note in which the physician or audiologist finds the sound's intensity and tries to locate "where" the patient's tinnitus resides in frequency terms.
 
The assessment benefits patients in two ways. It helps the otolaryngologist and/or audiologist understand a sound's impact on a patient, Abel says. The assessment may also determine if the patient exhibits residual inhibition, which means he doesn't hear the tinnitus  when the physician plays another sound.
 
Tip: Report 92625 when an otolaryngologist and/or an audiologist considers treatment options, such as tinnitus retraining therapy.