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Medical bill code lookup

Type a code from your bill. For drug, supply, equipment and ambulance codes you see Medicare’s official name, the amount a drug is counted in, and the most units Medicare usually expects from one provider for one patient. Free, and what you type stays on your device. Five-digit CPT codes and four-digit hospital revenue codes are not in this lookup; the billing codes guide explains what they are.

Usually five characters, in a column next to each charge.

Try

Type a code to see what kind it is, and Medicare’s name for drug, supply and equipment codes.

What you type stays on this page. Nothing is sent to us or stored.

What the first letter tells you

Codes made of a letter and four digits are usually HCPCS Level II codes, the national list Medicare publishes and other insurers use too; codes starting with D are dental codes. The letter gives the kind of item or service. A diagnosis code printed without its dot (J96.00 as J9600) can look the same, so check that the code sits next to a charge.

A
Ambulance and other transport, and medical and surgical supplies
B
Tube feeding and IV nutrition
C
Hospital outpatient items, such as devices and newer drugs
D
Dental codes (CDT), which belong to the American Dental Association
E
Medical equipment for home use, such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs
G
Services Medicare created its own codes for, and quality reporting
H
Behavioral health and substance use services, mostly for Medicaid
J
Drugs, mostly given by injection, infusion or inhaler, and some taken by mouth, such as transplant and cancer drugs
K
Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs (temporary codes)
L
Braces, splints and artificial limbs
M
Quality reporting and a few services, such as vaccines given at home
P
Some lab tests and blood products
Q
Temporary codes, such as casts and skin substitutes
R
Bringing portable X-ray or EKG equipment to a home, nursing home or other location
S
Codes some private insurers use (Medicare does not)
T
Codes for state Medicaid programs, such as home nursing
U
Some coronavirus lab tests
V
Vision and hearing items, such as glasses and hearing aids

Check the whole bill

MedBillCheckup reads every charge on your bill, on your device, and looks for repeated charges, totals that don’t add up and quantities above what Medicare usually expects. Reading it is free. The guide to billing codes explains each kind of code.

Where the answers come from

  • HCPCS Level II code listVersion in use: effective October 1, 2026

    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare’s names for drug, supply, equipment and ambulance codes. Updated by Medicare every quarter.

  • Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 17

    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). How drug units are counted: in multiples of the amount in the code’s name, rounded up.

  • Medically Unlikely EditsVersion in use: effective October 1, 2026

    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The most units of a drug, supply or equipment code Medicare usually expects for one patient from one provider, on one day or on one line of a bill. Home medical equipment suppliers have their own limits, which can cover several weeks of supplies. Not every code has one. Updated by Medicare every quarter.

We never show the official descriptions of five-digit procedure codes (CPT). They belong to the American Medical Association.

Questions

Is what I type sent anywhere?

No. Your browser downloads Medicare’s whole public list once, the same file for everyone, and looks the code up on your device. Nothing you type is sent to us or kept.

Why don’t you show what five-digit codes mean?

Five-digit procedure codes (CPT) and their descriptions belong to the American Medical Association, and showing them needs its license. Ask the billing office to describe a charge in plain words; they can do that for any line on your bill.

What does “per 1 mg” in a code’s name mean?

It is the billing unit. Medicare counts the drug in multiples of that amount, rounded up: for a code named 50 mg, a 200 mg dose is 4 units. If the quantity on your bill does not seem to match the dose, it is worth asking the billing office how many units were billed.

My bill shows more units than Medicare usually expects. Is it wrong?

Not necessarily. A larger dose, units for several days added on one line, or a medical supplier’s delivery covering several weeks can show more units. It is a good reason to ask the billing office what the units cover.

What does a unit limit tell me?

It is the most units of a code Medicare would normally accept from one provider for one patient on one day, or on one line of a bill. It applies to doctor, outpatient and supplier bills, not to inpatient hospital stays. It is a ceiling, not a guide to what is usual: Medicare says its limits are not utilization guidelines, so a count under the limit can still be worth asking about.

Why does my code show no unit limit?

Some codes have no published limit, and Medicare keeps some limits confidential. No limit shown does not mean there is none. It is still worth asking what the units cover.

How up to date is the list?

Medicare updates both lists every quarter. The dates of the versions in use are shown above, under “Where the answers come from”, and we update them when Medicare publishes new ones.

MedBillCheckup provides informational assistance only. It does not determine whether a charge is medically necessary, fraudulent, illegal, or definitively incorrect, and it is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer, doctor, insurer, or certified medical billing specialist.