In medical billing, we work with abbreviations on a daily basis. Without a proper understanding of them, it’s impossible to perform billing accurately.
Below is a list of the most important and frequently used abbreviations in medical billing.
DOS : Date of service.
DOB : Date of birth.
DOD : Date of death.
DOA : Date of accident.
AMA : American Medical Association.
CMS : Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
CPT : Current Procedural Terminology.
DME : Durable Medical Equipment.
Dx : Diagnosis code.
EOB : Explanation of Benefits.
ERA : Electronic Remittance Advice.
E/M : Evaluation and Management section of the CPT codes (99202 to 99499).
ICD : International Classification of Diseases.
NPI : National Provider Identifier.
POS : Place of Service..
COB : Coordination of Benefits.
MSP : Medicare Secondary Payer.
EDI : Electronic Data Interchange.
MRN : Medical Record Number..
PEC : Pre-existing Condition.
EFT : Electronic Funds Transfer.
PCP : Primary Care Physician.
SSN : Social Security Number.
AOB : Assignment of Benefits.
DME : Durable Medical Equipment.
PHI : Protected Health Information.
ATD : Applied To Deductible.
BCBS : Blue Cross Blue Shield.
SOF : Signature on File.
EMR : Electronic Medical Record.
HIPPA : Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
HMO : Health Maintenance Organization.
PPO : Preferred Provider Organization.
TPA : Third-Party Administrator.
TIN : Tax Identification Number.
TAT : Turnaround time.
TFL : Timely filing limit.
POTF : Proof of timely filing.
AFL : After filing limit.
RA : Remittance Advice.
CARC : Claim Adjustment Reason Code.
RARC : Remittance Advice Remark Code.
PR : Patient Responsibility.
OA : Other Adjustment.
CHIP : Children’s Health Insurance Program.
MCO : Managed Care Organization.
RVU : Relative Value Unit.
BHO : Behavioral Health Organization.
CSR : Customer Service Representative.
DDE : Direct Data Entry.
DME : Durable Medical Equipment.
EIN : Employer Identification Number.
GHP : Group Health Plan.
HHS : Department of Health and Human Services.
HSA : Health Savings Account.
IRF : Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility.
IPF : Inpatient Psychiatric Facility.
J-codes : HCPCS code set for injectable drugs.
KPI : Key Performance Indicator.
LCD : Local Coverage Determination.
NCD : National Coverage Determination.
MAC : Medicare Administrative Contractor.
NDC : National Drug Code.
NCCI : National correct coding initiative.
NP : Nurse Practitioner.
OON : Out of Network.
PMPM : Per Member Per Month.
RCM : Revenue Cycle Management.
NF : Nursing Facility.
SNF : Skilled Nursing Facility.
TOS : Type of Service.
VOB : Verification of Benefits.
WC : Workers’ Compensation.
Would you like to help our billing family?
Help us keep MBillers accurate and up to date by reporting incorrect information, sharing valuable medical billing knowledge, or suggesting new content you’d like to see. Every submission is carefully reviewed, and approved contributions are added to support and strengthen the entire billing community.
