Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Achieve Exam Success!

The correct answer is CPT, which stands for Current Procedural Terminology. CPT coding is specifically designed for documenting and classifying medical procedures and services performed by healthcare providers. These codes are essential for billing purposes and to communicate the services rendered to insurance companies and other payers.

CPT is organized into categories that cover a wide range of healthcare services, including evaluation and management, surgical procedures, radiology, pathology, and laboratory services. This structure allows for a detailed and standardized method of coding that reflects the specific interactions and interventions that take place in a patient’s care.

While ICD-10 codes are utilized for diagnoses to represent diseases, conditions, and symptoms, and HCPCS codes include items such as durable medical equipment and non-physician services, CPT is distinct in its focus on procedures. DRGs, or Diagnosis-Related Groups, are primarily used for hospital reimbursement and categorize patients based on diagnosis, treatment, and length of stay rather than direct coding of individual procedures. Thus, for procedures, CPT is the relevant coding category.