Place of service
Updated September 30, 2026
Definition
A 2-digit code on a provider's claim that shows where you got care, such as a doctor's office, a hospital outpatient department, or an emergency room.
Place of service is a 2-digit code that tells your insurer where you got care. Doctors and other professionals put it on the claims they send. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) keeps the official list.
A few common codes: 11 is a doctor's office, and 23 is a hospital emergency room. A hospital outpatient department is 22 if it's on the hospital's campus and 19 if it's off campus. Telehealth has its own codes: 10 for a visit in your home and 02 for a visit somewhere else.
The code matters because plans may pay differently for the same service in different places. A visit coded as a hospital outpatient department, instead of an office, can come with a separate facility fee. The code may not appear on your bill, so you may need to ask for it. If it doesn't match where you went, ask the provider to check the claim.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
- GuideFacility fees: what they are and when to push backA facility fee is the hospital's charge for its part of an outpatient visit. Learn why it can raise your cost, how to ask first, and when to question it.
- Guide12 common medical billing errors and how to spot themDuplicate charges, wrong codes, missing insurance discounts, and more. Use this checklist of 12 common medical billing errors, then learn how to fix them.
Sources
- Place of service code set, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed September 30, 2026.
This is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules can depend on your plan and your state. Romi Care isn't an insurer, law firm, collection agency, or government program.