The<unk>  (HCPCS) is a set of<unk><unk>  codes based on the American Medical Association's Current<unk> l Terminology (CPT). <unk> ly pronounced Hick-Picks.
The<unk>  (HCPCS) was established in 1978 to provide a standardized coding<unk>  for describing the specific items and services provided in the delivery of<unk> . Such coding is necessary for Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance programs to ensure that insurance claims are processed in an orderly and consistent manner. Initially, use of the codes was voluntary, but with the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) use of the HCPCS for transactions involving<unk>  information became mandatory.
HCPCS includes two levels of codes:
Level I consists of the American Medical Association's Current<unk> l Terminology (CPT) and is numeric.
Level II codes are alphanumeric and primarily include non-physician services such as ambulance services and prosthetic devices.
The acronym HCPCS originally stood for HCFA<unk><unk>  Coding<unk> , as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) was previously (before 2001) known as the<unk>  Financing Administration (HCFA).
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