AMA CPT® Assistant - 1990 Issue 4 (Winter)
What is HCPCS? (Winter 1990)
Winter 1990 page 1a What is HCPCS? The required coding system for submitting Medicare Part B claims is the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). Since October 1, 1985, all Medicare Part B Carriers have used this system. The system is structured in three levels: Level One - is the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Level Two - consists of alphanumeric procedure codes (a 5 digit code, with a leading alphabetic character and 4 numbers, e.g., A1234). These codes are assigned by HCFA to designate such services as durable medical equipment, ambulance...
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This short educational article explains the HCPCS framework used for Medicare Part B claim submission and describes the three levels of the system in general terms. It is useful for coders, billing staff, and compliance readers who need a high-level orientation to HCPCS, its relationship to CPT, and the sources that maintain or assign codes across the system.
Why This Topic Matters
Understanding the structure and stewardship of HCPCS helps readers place claim code types in context and recognize which organizations manage different parts of the system.
What You Will Learn
- The basic purpose of HCPCS in Medicare Part B claim submission.
- How HCPCS is organized into three general levels.
- Which organizations maintain or assign the different HCPCS levels.
- How HCPCS relates to CPT and carrier-assigned procedure codes.
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Practice administrators
- Students of medical coding
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com
