What Are HCPCS Level II Codes? A Complete Guide

HCPCS Level II codes are alphanumeric billing codes maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). They consist of a single letter followed by four digits — for example, J0120 for tetracycline injection or E0100 for a cane. Level II codes cover a broad range of items that are not represented by CPT (Level I) codes, including injectable drugs, durable medical equipment, supplies, orthotics, prosthetics, ambulance services, and more.

The HCPCS code set is organized by section letter. A-codes cover ambulance transport and medical supplies. E-codes cover durable medical equipment. J-codes cover injectable and infused drugs. K-codes are temporary codes for items used by DMEPOS suppliers pending permanent assignment. L-codes cover orthotics and prosthetics, and so on through V-codes for vision, hearing, and speech services. Each section has distinct billing rules and may use different fee schedules.

CMS updates HCPCS quarterly — adding new codes, revising descriptions, and deleting discontinued ones. Providers and billing teams must track quarterly changes to avoid claim denials from using outdated or deleted codes. The annual update, effective January 1 each year, tends to have the largest number of changes, while the April, July, and October updates may include smaller revisions and temporary codes.

Unlike CPT codes, which are owned by the American Medical Association and require a license, HCPCS Level II codes are public domain. This makes them freely accessible to providers, payers, billing software vendors, and researchers. Every code on this site comes directly from CMS. Learn about our data sources.