What Is a PCS Code?

The procedure coding system (PCS) is a code used by the health care industry to classify medical procedures. It is based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), first published in 1990.

System

• The most recent version (as of 2010) of PCS codes, ICD-10-CM-PCS is based on a seven-digit system. Each seven-digit code refers to a specific treatment for a specific disease. The digits can include letters and numbers (except for the letters O and I to avoid confusion with 0 and 1).

Number

• As of February 2010, there were 71,597 PCS codes and the number increases as new procedures are developed. This represented a marked increase on the previous ICM-9 system which had only 3,838 codes.

Use

• The ICD-10-CM-PCS was created by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services. It is only designed to classify procedures on inpatients in hospitals.