Level III HCPCS codes were primarily what kind of codes?

Level III HCPCS codes were primarily local codes that were used for billing and processing claims in specific regions or by certain local Medicare contractors. These codes often described services or items that were provided by local healthcare providers, which were not adequately covered by the national code set. However, these local codes were eventually eliminated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in favor of a more standardized system that utilized Level I (CPT) and Level II HCPCS codes. The elimination aimed to streamline coding practices and ensure consistency across the healthcare system.

The other classifications, such as universal codes or global codes, do not accurately represent the function or designation of Level III codes, as they were specific and not designed for universal application nor do they cover all healthcare services comprehensively. Similarly, emergency procedure codes do not encapsulate the essence of Level III codes. Thus, the focus on local codes that CMS phased out captures the specific historical context and purpose behind Level III HCPCS coding.