A patient with a hand injury presents for radiographs; which coding category best represents the interpretation of the x-ray study in this outpatient encounter?

• A. ICD-10-CM
• B. CPT
• C. HCPCS
• D. DRG

Answer: (B)

The interpretation of an x-ray study in an outpatient setting is billed as a professional service using CPT codes. CPT codes are the standard way to report medical procedures and the professional work of clinicians, including radiology interpretation and the associated report. ICD-10-CM codes, on the other hand, document the patient’s diagnosis or reason for the visit, not the act of interpreting the imaging. HCPCS covers certain supplies and non-physician services, but it isn’t used to code the radiology interpretation itself. DRGs are used for inpatient hospital payment classifications, not outpatient imaging coding. So CPT is the best fit because it specifically represents the radiology interpretation service carried out during the outpatient encounter.