How To Look Up CPT Codes for FREE — 7 Steps!

In our previous post, “What Are CPT Codes and Why Are They Important“, we talked about the significance and meaning of CPT codes. We also reviewed some examples as well as give you resources of medical coding books if you need one as CPT codes are being updated manually. Now, in today’s article, we will answer a follow up question about CPT codes: “How To Look Up CPT codes for FREE”. (Personally, we use Find-A-Code for looking up CPT Codes, but this method will allow you to lookup 5 CPT codes per day.)

You need to remember that:

A CPT code is a five digit alphanumeric code with no decimal marks and most CPT codes consist of 5 numbers. Some are used frequently like 99213 or 99214 (for general check ups) while some CPT codes may have a letter at the end of them, using 4 numbers and one letter.

While there maybe available resources to look up CPT codes, it may not be for free at all. Some may just provide an overview of the code. Lucky enough, the American Medical Association (AMA), does offer us an easy way to look up one code at a time, for FREE. It may be a tedious task but worth the wait!

Free CPT Code Lookup Video

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to look up CPT codes for free:

Step #1: Go to AMA website and Create an Account

Step #2: There you will find an End-User License Agreement. In essence it tells you that you may look up these codes only for your personal information and that you cannot sell them to anyone else. Further, it tells you that if they think you are using the system too much, they may limit your searches and/or limit the number of CPT codes you look up at one time. There is additional legalese which you should probably read. You can also print the agreement.

Step #3:  Click on AGREE. This will allow you access to the code lookup. If you click on DECLINE, you will not be allowed access to the code lookup.

Step #4:  Once you click on “AGREE”, it will take you to the next page which is your search page.

Step #5: Choose your state and city.

Step #6: If you already have the CPT code and want to see what it means: Simply input the 5-digit CPT code to the field, hit SUBMIT, and you’ll get your result on the next page. Included in the search results is the Medicare payment information.

Step 7: If you do not have the CPT code, but you know what the procedure or service was, you can do a search to try to figure out the right code. This can get tricky, though. Hint: Try using the term you would use to describe the procedure or service. For example, you can use “hysterectomy” and you’ll get a handful of results.

When you do a CPT lookup, you can learn four things:

1. You can use a CPT code to find out what service or procedure it represents.
2. You can use a service or procedure to look up the CPT codes that might apply.
3. You can find out how much Medicare pays a doctor and a facility in your area for that service or procedure (based on the RVU).
4. You can find out the average amount paid across the United States for that code.

January 2021 Update: The CPT Lookup Tool now limits you to 5 code lookups per day! But it still works.

Source: http://patients.about.com/od/medicalcodes/a/How-To-Look-Up-A-Cpt-Code-And-Its-Corresponding-Relative-Value-Amount-Rvu.htm

 Happy CPT code hunting!

Related CPT Codes Posts:

• What Are CPT Codes and Why Are They Important?
• Reimbursement ICD 9 CM or CPT Coding – Video
• CPT or HCPCS Medical Coding — Video
• CPT Repair Code — VIDEO