National Correct Coding Initiative Edits

Important notice to all NCCI Users concerning the National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services:

The annual updated version of the National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual for Medicare Services will be effective January 1, 2012 rather than October 1, 2011. This manual will be posted on the NCCI website on or around December 1, 2011.

As of April 1, 2012, a revision to Chapter 8 (CPT codes 60000-69999), Section C. Nervous System, Paragraph #15, Pages VIII-7-8 has been posted on the CMS’ NCCI web page.

The CMS developed the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) to promote national correct coding methodologies and to control improper coding leading to inappropriate payment in Part B claims. The CMS developed its coding policies based on coding conventions defined in the American Medical Association's CPT manual, national and local policies and edits, coding guidelines developed by national societies, analysis of standard medical and surgical practices, and a review of current coding practices. The CMS annually updates the National Correct Coding Initiative Coding Policy Manual for Medicare Services (Coding Policy Manual).  The Coding Policy Manual should be utilized by carriers and FIs as a general reference tool that explains the rationale for NCCI edits.

Carriers implemented NCCI edits within their claim processing systems for dates of service on or after January 1, 1996.

A subset of NCCI edits is incorporated into the outpatient code editor (OCE) for OPPS and therapy providers (Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities (CORFs), outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology providers (OPTs), and home health agencies (HHAs) billing under TOBs 22X, 23X, 75X, 74X, 34X).

The purpose of the NCCI edits is to prevent improper payment when incorrect code combinations are reported. The NCCI contains one table of edits for physicians/practitioners and one table of edits for outpatient hospital services. The Column One/Column Two Correct Coding Edits table and the Mutually Exclusive Edits table have been combined into one table and include code pairs that should not be reported together for a number of reasons explained in the Coding Policy Manual. 

This web page provides information to providers on Medicare's NCCI edits but does not address specific NCCI edits. If the viewer has concerns about specific NCCI edits, he/she may submit comments in writing to:

National Correct Coding Initiative
Correct Coding Solutions LLC
P.O. Box 907
Carmel, IN 46082-0907

Attention:  Niles R. Rosen, M.D., Medical Director and Linda S. Dietz, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, Coding Specialist

Fax #:  317-571-1745

The NCCI Edits Manual may also be obtained by purchasing the manual, or sections of the manual, from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) website located in the “Related Links Outside CMS” section below, or by contacting NTIS at 1-800-363-2068 or 703-605-6060.