Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are a standardized system used to describe and document medical procedures, diagnostic services, and outpatient care.
What is a CPT Code? A Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code is a numerical five-digit code to provide a standard coding language for medical services and procedures. This helps doctors and healthcare professionals report information more accurately and efficiently.
The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set is maintained by the American Medical Association through the CPT Editorial Panel.
CPT® codes are mandated by HIPAA regulations for reporting medical procedures and services. Each new release of CPT codes is valid between January 1st and December 31st of the following year. Using current CPT codes reduces claim delays and denials and improves reimbursement.
Recognize and learn the main categories of CPT content. The American Medical Association (AMA) has developed free online courses introducing key dimensions of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set to accelerate your understanding of CPT codes.
Once approved by the Editorial Panel, the newly added Category III CPT codes are released biannually (January 1 and July 1) on the AMA CPT website, and published annually in the CPT book as part of the general CPT code set.
While CPT codes are similar to ICD-10 codes, CPT codes identify services rendered, whereas ICD-10 codes represent patient diagnoses. (For additional information on ICD-10 codes, please refer to the ICD-10: Understanding the Basics document).
The CPT code set streamlines communication across health care settings and informs the advanced analytics on medical procedures and services. Governments, health care providers, tech vendors and payers utilize the CPT code set within their health management systems.