Revenue code

What does Revenue code mean on a medical bill?

A revenue code is the short number on a hospital claim that says which department a charge came from — the room, the pharmacy, the lab, the emergency department, the operating room, supplies. It sits beside the procedure code and answers a different question: the procedure code says what was done, the revenue code says where the charge was generated. On an itemized hospital bill it is the fastest way to sort a wall of lines into the handful of departments you actually passed through.

What should I watch out for with Revenue code?

• A pharmacy or supply line with no matching medication or item anywhere in your records
• Room charges for more nights than you stayed — count the dates against your discharge date
• Ask the billing office which department a revenue code stands for when the description says nothing