Glossary · Updated Jul 4, 2026
CPT (Current Procedural Terminology)
CPT is the numeric code set used to report medical procedures and services. It forms Level I of HCPCS and is maintained by the American Medical Association. Under the Physician Fee Schedule, most physician services are identified by a five-digit CPT code.
What CPT codes look like
A CPT code is five digits, such as an office visit or a surgical procedure code. Each code identifies a specific service. The official long descriptions of CPT codes are copyrighted by the AMA, which is why we present computed rates and our own explanatory context rather than reproducing AMA description text on public pages.
CPT in the fee schedule
CMS assigns RVUs, a status indicator, and other payment-policy indicators to CPT codes in each quarterly Physician Fee Schedule release. Those computed values — not the AMA’s descriptive text — are what determine payment, and they are what our code pages compute and version.
Frequently asked
Who maintains CPT?
The American Medical Association maintains the CPT code set and holds the copyright on the official descriptions.
Why do you not show the official CPT description everywhere?
CPT descriptions are AMA-copyrighted. We show the code, its computed Medicare rate, and our own original context; official CPT descriptor text requires an AMA license.
Related
Sources
Written from primary CMS sources — see how we source, compute, and verify everything on this site.