CPT Codes: Know the three categories

Maintained by American Medical Association (AMA),these codes will bring to minimum the need for record
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes can beabstraction and chart review, and thereby reduce
found in various paperwork and documentation as weadministrative burdens on healthcare professionals.
make the transition through any healthcare experience.These codes are designed to facilitate data collection
When you do a CPT code search, you’ll find thatabout the quality of care provided by certain services
there are three types of CPT codes:and test results that aid nationally-established
Category I CPT Codeperformance measure.
Category II CPT Code - Performance MeasurementCategory III CPT Code – Emerging Technology
Category III CPT Code – Emerging TechnologyThese codes are for emerging technology, services
Category I CPT codesand procedures. They are temporary 5-year codes
These types of codes describe a procedure orand it is expected that five years down the line, these
service identifiable with a five-digit CPT code andcodes will be converted to Category I codes. Since its
descriptor nomenclature. Category I CPT codes areinception in 2001, the category III CPT Code system
restricted to clinically-recognized and generallyhas slowly been accepted by the various stakeholders
accepted services. These codes are the permanentthat use CPT codes (physicians, payors, and the like).
CPT codes listed in the CPT book.This code process was developed to provide a
Category II CPT Code - Performance Measurementmeans for establishing specific codes for new
These are supplemental tracking codes that can beprocedures that do not meet the criteria for Category I
utilized for performance measurement. The use ofCPT codes.