Which coding system is used to describe procedures and services performed in a medical encounter?

Which coding system is used to describe procedures and services performed in a medical encounter?

• A. CPT codes
• B. ICD-10-CM codes
• C. HIPAA Privacy Rule
• D. OSHA

Answer: (A)

Procedures and services performed in a medical encounter are described with a system that assigns codes to the exact actions taken, such as office visits, surgeries, tests, and imaging. This system, CPT (Current Procedural Terminology), is used to standardize reporting and billing for those services. ICD-10-CM codes, in contrast, classify diagnoses or the reason for the encounter, not the procedures themselves. The HIPAA Privacy Rule deals with protecting patient health information, and OSHA deals with workplace safety; neither is a coding system for describing medical procedures. So CPT codes are the appropriate way to describe procedures and services performed.