Sources
- Drug products and NDCs: the FDA NDC Directory, through openFDA. Product names, labelers, strengths, routes and packages are shown as the FDA lists them.
- HCPCS drug codes: the CMS HCPCS Level II quarterly file — codes, descriptors, effective and termination dates.
- NDCs assigned to each code: the CMS ASP NDC–HCPCS crosswalk, including package sizes and billing units per package.
- Payment limits:the CMS Medicare Part B drug payment limit file, and CMS’s list of drugs not payable under Part B.
Each page names its sources and when the data was imported. Data sources and methodology describes the processing in detail.
How often it changes
- Pages re-read FDA product data from openFDA at least once a day.
- CMS HCPCS codes, the crosswalk and payment limits are imported each quarter, when CMS publishes them.
- The code changes page lists what was added, discontinued or reworded in the latest HCPCS update.
What Med-Code writes itself
Guides, glossary entries, the short answers at the top of pages and the descriptions of CPT codes are written by Med-Code. CPT descriptors are licensed by the American Medical Association, so Med-Code never reproduces them; it describes CPT codes in its own words.
No guessing
- A drug is linked to a code only when a CMS file or Med-Code’s curated directory says so, matched on exact names.
- Unclassified codes such as J3490 are never presented as a drug’s code; pages say when a drug has no specific code.
- Billing units come from the code descriptor or the CMS crosswalk. Where a unit is read from the descriptor text, the page says so.
- Numbers are shown as the source states them; nothing is estimated or filled in.
What Med-Code is not
Med-Code is not affiliated with the FDA, CMS or the AMA. A code, payment limit or NDC shown here is not a coverage decision; payers set their own rules. Always confirm codes against the current official files for the date of service.
Corrections
Where Med-Code and an official file disagree, the official file is right. Errors in imported data are fixed at the next import or sooner; errors in Med-Code’s own writing are fixed as soon as they are confirmed. See also About Med-Code and the coding guides.