Place of Service Codes for Medical Billing (POS 11, 10, 02, 22)
Place of service codes are the two-digit setting codes on every professional claim. The common POS codes, POS 10 vs 02, 19 vs 22, and which pay the facility rate.
On this page 10 sections
Place of service (POS) codes are the two-digit codes in item 24B of the CMS-1500 (or its electronic equivalent) that tell the payer where the patient received each service: 11 for an office, 10 or 02 for telehealth, 21 for a hospital inpatient, 22 or 19 for a hospital outpatient department. On the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule the POS code also decides whether you're paid the higher non-facility rate or the lower facility rate.
Key takeaways
- CMS maintains the national POS code set; every HIPAA-standard professional claim uses it, and Medicare returns a claim with a missing or invalid POS as unprocessable.
- POS reflects where the patient was. The exception: registered hospital inpatients and outpatients get 21, 22 or 19 wherever the face-to-face visit happened.
- POS 11, 12, 10 and 32 pay the non-facility rate. POS 21, 22, 19, 23, 24, 31 and 02 pay the facility rate.
- POS 10 (patient at home) is paid at the non-facility rate for telehealth; POS 02 (patient elsewhere) at the facility rate.
- Therapy services and the professional component of diagnostic tests pay the same in any setting.
The common place of service codes
Names are CMS's, from the Place of Service Code Set; the payment column is Medicare's designation in the Claims Processing Manual (ch. 12, §20.4.2; ch. 26, §10.5).
| POS | CMS name | Use it when | Medicare PFS rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home | Telehealth, patient not at home | Facility |
| 10 | Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home | Telehealth, patient at home | Non-facility |
| 11 | Office | Your practice location | Non-facility |
| 12 | Home | Visit in the patient's private residence | Non-facility |
| 13 | Assisted Living Facility | Visit in assisted living | Non-facility |
| 19 | Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital | Registered outpatient, off-campus hospital department | Facility |
| 20 | Urgent Care Facility | Freestanding urgent care | Non-facility |
| 21 | Inpatient Hospital | Registered hospital inpatient | Facility |
| 22 | On Campus-Outpatient Hospital | Registered outpatient, on the hospital campus | Facility |
| 23 | Emergency Room – Hospital | Hospital emergency department | Facility |
| 24 | Ambulatory Surgical Center | Medicare-participating ASC | Facility |
| 31 | Skilled Nursing Facility | Patient in a Part A covered SNF stay | Facility |
| 32 | Nursing Facility | Nursing facility, or SNF patient not in a Part A stay | Non-facility |
| 49 | Independent Clinic | Outpatient-only clinic not part of a hospital | Non-facility |
| 50 | Federally Qualified Health Center | FQHC | Non-facility (FQHCs are paid by encounter) |
| 72 | Rural Health Clinic | RHC | Non-facility (RHCs are paid by encounter) |
| 99 | Other Place of Service | No other code fits | Non-facility |
Sources: CMS, Place of Service Code Set (cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/place-of-service-codes/code-sets, database updated May 2, 2024); Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Pub. 100-04, ch. 12, §20.4.2 (Rev. 12823) and ch. 26, §10.5 and item 24B (Rev. 12779). Verified October 6, 2026.
How POS drives facility vs non-facility payment
Many codes have two Medicare rates. The non-facility rate assumes your practice paid for the staff, room, supplies and equipment. The facility rate assumes a hospital, ASC or SNF did, and pays that facility separately, so your share is lower. CMS: "The rate, facility or nonfacility, that a physician service is paid under the MPFS is determined by the Place of service (POS) code" (ch. 12, §20.4.2).
Pick a setting below to see how the same established-patient visit pays:
Place of service · 99214
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
Non-facility (office) rate · national
$135.61
The facility rate would be $84.50 (+$51.11). In a facility, the facility bills its own costs separately.
Two kinds of service ignore POS for payment: outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy are paid at the non-facility rate in every setting, and the professional component of a diagnostic test pays the same either way. Our facility vs non-facility guide explains where the difference in the rate comes from.
POS 11: office
POS 11 is CMS's "Office": a location, other than a hospital, SNF, military treatment facility, community health center, public health clinic or intermediate care facility, "where the health professional routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis." It's the most common POS on professional claims and pays the non-facility rate.
POS 10 vs 02: telehealth
Both are telehealth codes; the patient's location decides between them.
- POS 10, Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home: the patient is in their home, meaning a private residence rather than a hospital or other facility. Since CY 2024, Medicare pays POS 10 claims at the non-facility rate, a policy CMS confirmed would continue "for CY 2025 and beyond" (CY 2025 PFS final rule).
- POS 02, Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home: the patient is somewhere else, such as a clinic or hospital. Medicare pays POS 02 at the facility rate (ch. 12, §20.4.2).
CMS's telehealth booklet (MLN901705, December 2025) tells professional billers to use POS 02 or 10 for telehealth services. Whether a service is payable by telehealth at all depends on the Medicare telehealth services list and the originating-site rules in effect on the date of service. For the telehealth modifier, see modifier 95.
POS 19 vs 22: hospital outpatient
CMS split the old "Outpatient Hospital" code in 2016. POS 22, On Campus-Outpatient Hospital, is a hospital department on the main campus; POS 19, Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital, is a provider-based department off the campus. Both pay the physician the facility rate. The Claims Processing Manual says that for a patient who is "an outpatient of a hospital (POS codes 19 or 22), the facility rate is paid, regardless of where the face-to-face encounter with the beneficiary occurred."
So yes, 99214 can be billed with POS 22. It pays the facility rate, and the hospital bills its own facility claim.
POS 21 vs 23: inpatient and ED
POS 21 is a registered hospital inpatient; POS 23 is the hospital emergency department. Both pay the facility rate.
POS 31 vs 32: nursing facilities
The difference follows the patient's coverage, not the building. A patient in a Medicare Part A covered SNF stay is POS 31, paid at the facility rate. A nursing facility resident, or a SNF resident whose care isn't in a Part A stay, is POS 32, paid at the non-facility rate (ch. 12, §20.4.2).
POS 12: home
POS 12, "Home," is the patient's private residence and pays the non-facility rate. Assisted living has its own code, 13. Home visits use the home or residence E/M codes (99341–99350); from 2026 those can carry G2211.
Pick the POS: a quick flow
Decide
Was the visit by telehealth?
Running one code list across settings? A fee sheet shows each code's office and facility rate at your locality side by side.
FAQ
What is the difference between POS 19 and POS 22?
Both are hospital outpatient departments. POS 22 is on the hospital's main campus; POS 19 is a provider-based department off campus. Medicare pays the physician's service at the facility rate for both.
What is the difference between POS 22 and 24?
POS 22 is an on-campus hospital outpatient department; POS 24 is an ambulatory surgical center, a freestanding facility for outpatient surgery. Both pay the physician the facility rate, and the facility bills separately.
What is POS 31 and 32?
POS 31 is a skilled nursing facility for a patient in a Part A covered stay, paid at the facility rate. POS 32 is a nursing facility, including SNF residents not in a Part A stay, paid at the non-facility rate.
Can 99214 be billed with POS 22?
Yes. An office/outpatient visit in an on-campus hospital outpatient department is billed with POS 22 and paid at the facility rate.
What does POS 20 mean?
Urgent Care Facility: a location separate from a hospital ED, an office or a clinic that treats unscheduled, walk-in patients. Medicare pays POS 20 at the non-facility rate.
Is POS 10 still valid?
Yes. POS 10 is in the national code set and, per CMS, Medicare pays telehealth claims with POS 10 at the non-facility rate for CY 2025 and beyond.
Is there a place of service code on a UB-04?
No. Institutional claims (UB-04 or 837I) identify the setting with the type of bill and revenue codes. POS codes go on professional claims.
Related tools and guides
Visits and programs'G2211: Medicare Billing Guidelines, RVUs and Modifier 25'
G2211 is Medicare's add-on for the ongoing relationship behind an office or home E/M visit. Who can bill it, the modifier 25 rule, RVUs and 2026 changes.
Visits and programsAnnual Wellness Visit Billing Codes (G0438, G0439) for Medicare
The annual wellness visit billing codes are HCPCS G0438 (first AWV) and G0439 (every AWV after). Eligibility, what's not covered, modifier 25, ACP and G2211.
Payment basicsFacility vs Non-Facility Rates: How Medicare Pays by Setting
Facility vs non-facility: Medicare's two fee schedule rates per code. Only the practice expense RVU differs, and the place of service code decides which applies.
