CPT Code

CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes are 5-digit codes maintained by the American Medical Association describing every procedure or service a physician can bill. Roughly 11,000 CPT codes are active at any time. Codes are organized by family with predictable ranges: 99202-99499 are Evaluation & Management codes (the most-billed category in U.S. medicine), 10004-69990 are surgery codes, 70010-79999 are radiology codes, 80047-89398 are pathology and lab codes, 90281-99607 are medicine codes (immunizations, dialysis, PT/OT, psychiatric services), and 00100-01999 are anesthesia codes that use ASA base units instead of RVU-based math. Category III codes (4 digits + T suffix) cover emerging-technology services that do not yet have established payment methodologies. Each CPT code has an associated total RVU (Relative Value Unit), conversion factor, global period, and status indicator that determines how Medicare and most commercial payers calculate payment. The annual CPT update cycle takes effect each January, with new codes, deletions, and revisions published the prior fall. Coding to the correct CPT — supported by clinical documentation, paired with a justifying ICD-10 code, and accompanied by the appropriate modifier — is the foundation of every paid claim. CPT errors trigger denials, downcoding, and OIG audit risk; CPT accuracy is the highest-leverage skill an AAPC-certified coder brings.