The unlisted codes can be found in which location in the CPT manual?

• A. Guidelines prior to each section
• B. Index
• C. Appendix
• D. Table of contents

Answer: (A)

Unlisted codes exist for procedures when there isn’t a specific CPT code that already describes the service. In CPT, the place you find and learn how to use these unlisted codes is in the guidelines that precede each major section. Those guidelines tell you when an unlisted code should be used, what documentation is required, and how to justify the choice to the payer by describing how the procedure was performed and how it compares to the closest listed code. The other parts of the manual—the index, the table of contents, and the appendices—serve for lookup, orientation, and supplemental information, but they do not house the actual unlisted codes in the same way the section guidelines do.