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Hospitalists CPT Codes and Modifiers for 2025

Check out these 2025 CPT codes and modifiers
Read Time: 4 minutes
Mar 20, 2025

Hospitalists are the backbone of inpatient care—managing admissions, daily rounds, critical care, discharges, and transitions. With a fast-paced workflow and frequent handoffs, hospitalist billing needs to be precise and well-documented.

This guide includes the most commonly used Hospitalist CPT codes and modifiers for 2025, plus ICD-10 codes and billing tips to help prevent denials and ensure full reimbursement.

Initial Hospital Care

CPT CodeDescription
99221Initial hospital care, level 1
99222Initial hospital care, level 2
99223Initial hospital care, level 3

Subsequent Hospital Visits (Daily Rounds)

CPT CodeDescription
99231Subsequent hospital care, level 1
99232Subsequent hospital care, level 2
99233Subsequent hospital care, level 3

Hospital Discharge Services

CPT CodeDescription
99238Hospital discharge, 30 minutes or less
99239Hospital discharge, more than 30 minutes

Observation Care

CPT CodeDescription
99234Observation/inpatient same day, level 1
99235Observation/inpatient same day, level 2
99236Observation/inpatient same day, level 3
99218–99220Initial observation care
99224–99226Subsequent observation care
99217Observation discharge

Critical Care Services

CPT CodeDescription
99291Critical care, first 30–74 minutes
99292Each additional 30 minutes

Transition of Care & Prolonged Services

CPT CodeDescription
99495TCM, moderate complexity, seen within 14 days
99496TCM, high complexity, seen within 7 days
99417Prolonged E/M time beyond 75 minutes

Modifiers Commonly Used by Hospitalists

ModifierDescription
-25Significant, separately identifiable E/M on same day
-24Unrelated E/M during post-op period
-AIPrincipal physician of record
-57Decision for surgery
-76Repeat service by same provider
-95Telehealth service (if applicable)

Common ICD-10 Codes Used in Hospital Medicine

ICD-10 CodeDescription
J18.9Pneumonia, unspecified
I10Essential hypertension
N17.9Acute kidney failure
R07.9Chest pain, unspecified
E11.9Type 2 diabetes without complications
Z51.89Aftercare, other specified
R41.82Altered mental status, unspecified

Hospitalist Billing Tips for 2025

  • Use modifier -AI when multiple providers are involved in inpatient care.
  • Only one provider may bill initial hospital care per admission.
  • Time-based documentation is crucial for critical care and prolonged services.
  • Verify discharge time for 99239 billing (>30 minutes).
  • Support medical necessity for high-level follow-up codes like 99233.

Final Thoughts

Hospitalists handle some of the most complex billing scenarios in modern medicine. With proper documentation and up-to-date coding knowledge, your practice can reduce errors, avoid audits, and get paid what it deserves. Use this Hospitalist CPT coding guide for 2025 to keep your billing on track.

For informational purposes only.