CPT code 99282

What does CPT code 99282 mean on a medical bill?

This is level 2 of the five levels a hospital uses to bill an emergency room visit, one step above the simplest. It usually points to a short visit for a problem that needed a look and maybe one quick test or one simple treatment. The level is what most of the emergency room charge is built on, so it is worth checking that it matches how much was actually done for you that day.

What does CPT code 99282 usually cost?

The price climbs with the level, not with how long you sat in the waiting room. The same level costs different amounts at different hospitals, because each hospital sets its own price list and each insurer negotiates its own discount off that list.

What should I watch out for with CPT code 99282?

• A level that went up on a corrected claim without anything new appearing in your record
• The tests and drugs from your visit billed on their own lines and then reflected in the level too — ask for an itemized statement to see both
• A second visit level from an urgent care or clinic on the same day for the same problem