Smell and Taste Disorders: Diagnosis

Aetna covers diagnostic evaluation of unexplained olfactory and gustatory dysfunction — including olfactory mucosa biopsy, targeted drug/chemical assays, EEG for patients with seizures, and routine hematologic testing — but considers many procedures (e.g., CSF SARS‑CoV‑2 antibody testing, electrogustometry, TAS2R38 genotyping, MRI for COVID‑19 olfactory dysfunction, nasal nitric oxide, olfactometry/olfactory evoked potentials, rhinometry/rhinomanometry, PET/SPECT, and H. pylori tests) experimental/investigational and not covered. Key requirements: testing work‑up must await a standardized smell test (e.g., UPSIT or University of Connecticut Test Battery) to document impairment, only an initial and one follow‑up visit are medically necessary (additional visits are not), and specific CPT codes for the excluded studies are not covered.

"Nasal endoscopy."

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