What is the coding system used to report outpatient and physician office procedures and services?

The coding system utilized to report outpatient and physician office procedures and services is the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). This system is essential for documenting and coding a wide array of medical services, including evaluation and management services, surgical procedures, radiological services, and more that occur in an outpatient setting.

CPT codes enable healthcare providers to communicate effectively with payers regarding the services provided to patients. The use of these specific codes is critical as they are standardized and universally accepted, which helps in ensuring consistency in billing and reimbursement across the healthcare system.

While other coding systems, like SNOMED CT and ICD-10-PCS, serve important functions in healthcare, they are not used in the same way for outpatient and physician office procedures. SNOMED CT is primarily focused on clinical terminology and is used for documenting patient health records, while ICD-10-PCS is specifically used for coding inpatient hospital procedures. CMIT is not a widely recognized or standard coding system in medical billing. Thus, the CPT coding system is uniquely positioned to facilitate outpatient billing and documentation practices, making it the correct response in this context.