What is the HCPCS 1 code?

Asked by: Ezekiel Heathcote  |  Last update: May 15, 2025
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HCPCS Level I codes – These are the CPT codes which consists of codes and descriptive terms that are used to report medical services and procedures furnished by physicians, other providers, and healthcare facilities. The CPT codes are maintained and updated annually by the American Medical Association (AMA).

What are the HCPCS Level 1 codes?

HCPCS Level I: About Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes
  • Describe medical, surgical, diagnostic, and other types of services.
  • Owned and maintained by American Medical Association (AMA)
  • Numeric and alpha-numeric codes consisting of 5 characters.
  • Each code begins with a numeric character.

What is the difference between HCPCS I and HCPCS II?

The standard, national HCPCS Level II coding system is used primarily to identify products, supplies, and services that are not included in the HCPCS Level I (CPT®) codes.

What's one difference between the CPT and the HCPCS?

CPT codes are entirely numeric and consist of five digits. HCPCS codes are alphanumeric, which means they use both numbers and letters. You'll always see a letter followed by four numbers. These structures make it easy to differentiate between an HCPCS code vs.

What is the difference between ICD and HCPCS codes?

ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes provide the reason for seeking health care; ICD-10-PCS procedure codes tell what inpatient treatment and services the patient got; CPT (HCPCS Level I) codes describe outpatient services and procedures; and providers generally use HCPCS (Level II) codes for equipment, drugs, and supplies for ...

The Difference Between HCPCS and CPT Codes

41 related questions found

What does HCPCS stand for?

The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) is a national, uniform coding structure developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to standardize the coding systems used to process Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal) claims on a national basis.

What are the two types of ICD codes?

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a standardized system used to code causes of death (mortality) data from death certificates. The International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-CM) is a standardized system used to code diseases and medical conditions (morbidity) data.

When to use HCPCS code?

HCPCS Level II: A standardized coding system that is used primarily to identify products, supplies, and services not included in the CPT® codes, such as ambulance services or durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) when used outside a physician's office.

What are the two main coding systems?

Two common medical coding classification systems are in use — the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT).

Does Medicare prefer CPT or HCPCS?

Today, the CPT coding system is the preferred system for coding and describing healthcare services and procedures in federal programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and throughout the United States by private insurers and providers of healthcare services.

Who uses HCPCS codes?

Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) is a standardized code system necessary for medical providers to submit healthcare claims to Medicare and other health insurances in a consistent and orderly manner. HCPCS includes two medical code sets, HCPCS Level I and HCPCS Level II.

What is the difference between CPT I and CPT II?

Category I: These codes have descriptors that correspond to a procedure or service. Codes range from 00100–99499 and are generally ordered into sub-categories based on procedure/service type and anatomy. Category II: These alphanumeric tracking codes are supplemental codes used for performance measurement.

What is the last step in the coding process?

The 'four-step coding process' is the method used by clinical coders to ensure accurate and consistent code assignment. As the name suggests, there are four important steps to follow to ensure you arrive at the correct diagnosis or procedure code. Step 1: Analyse, Step 2: Locate, Step 3: Assign, Step 4: Verify.

What is a Level 3 HCPCS code?

Level III of HCPCS is the subsystem of codes that was developed by Medicaid State agencies, Medicare contractors, and private insurers for use in their specific programs or local areas of jurisdiction. Level III codes are also referred to as local codes.

What are the four code sets and what services do they report?

These standard code sets include National Drug Codes (NDCs), International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification and Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) for diagnoses and inpatient hospital procedures, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®), Current Dental Terminology (CDT) and the Healthcare Common ...

What is the difference between CPT code and procedure code?

The ICD-10 procedural coding system (ICD-10-PCS) is used by facilities (e.g., hospital) to code procedures. CPT codes are, and will continue to be, used by physicians (and other providers) to report professional services. The two systems are unique and very different.

What are the two systems used for coding?

The two main coding systems are the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). ICD is used globally for reporting diseases and health conditions, while CPT is used in the U.S for reporting medical procedures and services.

Is CPT the same as HCPCS?

Key Differences between HCPCS and CPT

CPT codes are used to report medical, surgical, and diagnostic services performed by healthcare professionals. HCPCS codes are used to report medical procedures and services to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance programs.

What are F codes in medical billing?

F codes are further broken up into the following categories:
  • F00–F09: codes for organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders.
  • F10–F19: codes for mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance abuse.
  • F20–F29: codes for schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders.

What is an example of a HCPCS Level 1 code?

An example of an HCPCS Level I is 90716, which coders can use to denote the administration of varicella or chickenpox vaccine. Meanwhile, an example of an HCPCS Level II code is R0070. Coders use this code to denote the transportation of personnel and portable X-ray equipment to nursing homes or homes.

What is the primary purpose of HCPCS coding?

These coding systems serve an important function for physician reimbursement, hospital payments, quality review, benchmarking measurement and the collection of general medical statistical data.

Do HCPCS codes always start with a letter?

While Level I codes are almost always numeric, Level II codes always begin with single alphabetical character, ranging from A to V, followed by four numbers. In coding and policy discussions the term HCPCS is typically used in reference to Level II codes, while Level I codes are referred to as CPT codes.

What does code grey mean in a hospital?

A hospital may use code gray if someone, including a patient, is being aggressive, abusive, or violent. Security personnel can assist other hospital staff to resolve the situation or remove the person from the premises if necessary.

What is the difference between ICD and HCPCS?

ICD: International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems. CPT: Current Procedural Terminology. HCPCS: Healthcare Common Procedures Coding System.

What does CPT stand for?

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes provide a uniform nomenclature for coding medical procedures and services.