Healthcare common procedure coding system
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS, pronounced "Hick-Picks") is a collection of codes that represent procedures, supplies, products and services which may be provided to Medicare beneficiaries and to individuals enrolled in private health insurance programs.
Etymology
The acronym HCPCS originally stood for HCFA Common Procedure Coding System, a medical billing process used by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Later, the HCFA was renamed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the acronym was adapted to Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System.
Levels
The HCPCS Level I coding system is identical to the American Medical Associations Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. HCPCS Level II codes are alphanumeric and primarily include non-physician services such as ambulance services and prosthetic devices. They represent items, supplies and non-physician services not covered by CPT codes.
Usage
HCPCS is used in the operation of medical office administration and billing. It is a necessary part of the healthcare billing process because it provides a standardized coding system for describing the specific items and services provided in the delivery of healthcare. Such coding helps to accurately describe the services rendered, from diagnosis to treatment, to ensure patients are billed correctly.
Related Terms
- Medical coding: A standardized language for medical billing used across the healthcare industry.
- International Classification of Diseases (ICD): A medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO). It contains codes for diseases, signs and symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or diseases.
- Diagnosis-related group (DRG): A system to classify hospital cases into one of approximately 500 groups, also referred to as DRGs, expected to have similar hospital resource use.
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