Place of service codes are the two digit codes on a professional claim that say where the service happened. CMS keeps the national list. About two dozen of them describe where behavioral health services happen, from office and home to hospital and CMHC.
They also change what Medicare pays. Each code is set to the facility or the non facility rate. In the 2026 Medicare fee schedule, a 60 minute psychotherapy session (90837) by telehealth pays USD 167.00 nationally with POS 10, patient at home. With POS 02, the facility rate, it pays USD 135.27. Same session, same code, USD 31.73 less.
What are place of service codes?
The CMS code set page says the codes "should be used on professional claims to specify the entity where service(s) were rendered." The electronic professional claim standard, the X12N 837 professional, requires codes from this national set, per Transmittal 12671. The same page adds: "Check with individual payers (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, other private insurance) for reimbursement policies regarding these codes."
Which place of service codes does a behavioral health group use?
These are the codes from the CMS set that describe where behavioral health services are delivered. The rate column is the Medicare designation in Transmittal 12671.
| POS | CMS name | Where you would see it | Medicare rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home | Telehealth with the patient somewhere other than home, such as a clinic, school or workplace | Facility |
| 03 | School | Sessions at a school | Non facility |
| 04 | Homeless Shelter | Sessions at a shelter | Non facility |
| 10 | Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home | Telehealth with the patient at home | Non facility |
| 11 | Office | In person sessions at your clinic | Non facility |
| 12 | Home | In person visits at the patient's private residence | Non facility |
| 14 | Group Home | Sessions at a group home | Non facility |
| 15 | Mobile Unit | A mobile crisis or outreach unit | Non facility |
| 19 | Off Campus Outpatient Hospital | A hospital outpatient department off the main campus | Facility |
| 21 | Inpatient Hospital | A registered hospital inpatient | Facility |
| 22 | On Campus Outpatient Hospital | A hospital outpatient department on the main campus | Facility |
| 23 | Emergency Room, Hospital | Consults in the emergency department | Facility |
| 49 | Independent Clinic | An outpatient clinic not part of a hospital and not described by another code | Non facility |
| 50 | Federally Qualified Health Center | An FQHC | Non facility |
| 51 | Inpatient Psychiatric Facility | A registered patient in an inpatient psychiatric facility | Facility |
| 52 | Psychiatric Facility, Partial Hospitalization | A partial hospitalization program | Facility |
| 53 | Community Mental Health Center | A CMHC | Facility |
| 55 | Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility | Residential substance use treatment | Non facility |
| 56 | Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center | A psychiatric residential treatment center | Facility |
| 57 | Non-residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility | Outpatient substance use treatment | Non facility |
| 58 | Non-residential Opioid Treatment Facility | An opioid treatment program | Non facility |
| 99 | Other Place of Service | A place not described by any other code | Non facility |
What is the full list of place of service codes?
These are the codes in the CMS set with the Medicare rate Transmittal 12671 assigns to each. Numbers not shown are unassigned, or are the special codes listed below the table.
| POS | Name | Medicare rate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pharmacy | Non facility |
| 02 | Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home | Facility |
| 03 | School | Non facility |
| 04 | Homeless Shelter | Non facility |
| 09 | Prison/Correctional Facility | Non facility |
| 10 | Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home | Non facility |
| 11 | Office | Non facility |
| 12 | Home | Non facility |
| 13 | Assisted Living Facility | Non facility |
| 14 | Group Home | Non facility |
| 15 | Mobile Unit | Non facility |
| 16 | Temporary Lodging | Non facility |
| 17 | Walk in Retail Health Clinic | Non facility |
| 19 | Off Campus Outpatient Hospital | Facility |
| 20 | Urgent Care Facility | Non facility |
| 21 | Inpatient Hospital | Facility |
| 22 | On Campus Outpatient Hospital | Facility |
| 23 | Emergency Room Hospital | Facility |
| 24 | Ambulatory Surgical Center | Facility |
| 25 | Birthing Center | Non facility |
| 26 | Military Treatment Facility | Facility |
| 27 | Outreach Site/Street | Non facility |
| 31 | Skilled Nursing Facility | Facility |
| 32 | Nursing Facility | Non facility |
| 33 | Custodial Care Facility | Non facility |
| 34 | Hospice | Facility |
| 41 | Ambulance Land | Facility |
| 42 | Ambulance Air or Water | Facility |
| 49 | Independent Clinic | Non facility |
| 50 | Federally Qualified Health Center | Non facility |
| 51 | Inpatient Psychiatric Facility | Facility |
| 52 | Psychiatric Facility Partial Hospitalization | Facility |
| 53 | Community Mental Health Center | Facility |
| 54 | Intermediate Care Facility/Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities | Non facility |
| 55 | Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility | Non facility |
| 56 | Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center | Facility |
| 57 | Non residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility | Non facility |
| 58 | Non residential Opioid Treatment Facility | Non facility |
| 60 | Mass Immunization Center | Non facility |
| 61 | Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility | Facility |
| 62 | Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility | Non facility |
| 65 | End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Facility | Non facility |
| 71 | State or Local Public Health Clinic | Non facility |
| 72 | Rural Health Clinic | Non facility |
| 81 | Independent Laboratory | Non facility |
| 99 | Other Place of Service | Non facility |
- 05 to 08 are Indian Health Service and Tribal 638 facilities. The transmittal says "Medicare does not currently use the POS codes designated for these settings."
- 18, Place of Employment, Worksite, is in the transmittal as not applicable for adjudication of Medicare claims.
- 66, PACE Center (effective August 1, 2024), is on the CMS page but not in the transmittal list.
- For the full descriptions, use the CMS code set page.
What is place of service 02?
POS 02 is "Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient's Home". In the CMS code set, the patient "is not located in their home when receiving health services or health related services through telecommunication technology." The name changed on January 1, 2022, and the change applied to Medicare from April 1, 2022.
- Use it when the patient joins from somewhere other than home: a clinic, a school, a workplace, a facility.
- Medicare pays POS 02 at the facility rate, per Transmittal 12671.
- POS 02 took effect January 1, 2017 and POS 10 on January 1, 2022. Before that, 02 was the only telehealth code.
What is place of service 10?
POS 10 is "Telehealth Provided in Patient's Home". The patient is at home, which CMS defines as "a location other than a hospital or other facility where the patient receives care in a private residence." The code took effect January 1, 2022, and became available to Medicare on April 1, 2022.
- Use it when the patient is at home during the telehealth session.
- Since January 1, 2024, Medicare pays POS 10 at the non facility rate, per Transmittal 12671.
- The MLN booklet lists the patient's home as a permitted originating site for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders.
What is the difference between POS 02 and POS 10?
Where the patient is, and what Medicare pays. Transmittal 12671 says: "The payment rate for POS 02 is the facility payment rate (F); the payment rate for POS 10 is the non-facility rate (NF)." It adds that the audio only or audio video modifier "does not change rate of payment, only the POS code determines the non-facility or facility payment rate."
| POS 02 | POS 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Patient location | Not at home | At home |
| Medicare rate | Facility | Non facility |
| Telehealth modifier in Transmittal 12671 | 93 audio only, 95 audio and video | 93 audio only, 95 audio and video |
| In effect for Medicare | Name revised April 1, 2022 | Available April 1, 2022; non facility rate from January 1, 2024 |
For behavioral health codes the gap is large. These are 2026 national amounts, total RVUs times the conversion factor of 33.4009, before locality adjustment.
| Code | 2026 file descriptor | POS 10, non facility | POS 02, facility | Difference | Less with POS 02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90791 | Psych diagnostic evaluation | USD 173.35 | USD 137.28 | USD 36.07 | 21 percent |
| 90832 | Psytx w pt 30 minutes | USD 85.84 | USD 69.47 | USD 16.37 | 19 percent |
| 90834 | Psytx w pt 45 minutes | USD 113.90 | USD 91.85 | USD 22.04 | 19 percent |
| 90837 | Psytx w pt 60 minutes | USD 167.00 | USD 135.27 | USD 31.73 | 19 percent |
| 90846 | Family psytx w/o pt 50 min (restricted coverage under Medicare) | USD 105.88 | USD 99.20 | USD 6.68 | 6 percent |
| 90847 | Family psytx w/pt 50 min | USD 109.55 | USD 102.87 | USD 6.68 | 6 percent |
| 99214 | Office o/p est mod 30 min | USD 135.61 | USD 84.50 | USD 51.10 | 38 percent |
- POS comes from where the patient was. The rate follows. Make sure the note records the location.
- A telehealth list that defaults to POS 02 for patients at home is billed at the lower rate.
- To find it, pull your Medicare telehealth lines billed with POS 02 and check the patient location in each note. Ask your MAC how to correct any that should have been 10.
- Source: CMS PPRRVU2026_Jan_nonQPP, conversion factor 33.4009. Your contractor's locality amount is the one that pays.
- Medicaid and commercial plans set their own telehealth POS rules. Some do not follow the Medicare split.
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START FREE TRIAL →What is POS 11?
POS 11 is Office: a "location, other than a hospital, skilled nursing facility (SNF), military treatment facility, community health center, State or local public health clinic, or intermediate care facility (ICF), where the health professional routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis." Medicare pays it at the non facility rate.
- In person sessions at your own clinic.
- Not for sessions inside a hospital outpatient department. Those are 19 or 22.
- An office inside a hospital uses 11 only if it is separately maintained and not a provider based department, per Transmittal 12671.
What is the difference between POS 11 and POS 22?
POS 11 is your office. POS 22 is On Campus Outpatient Hospital: "a portion of a hospital's main campus" serving patients who do not need to be admitted. Medicare pays POS 11 at the non facility rate and POS 22 at the facility rate.
Transmittal 12671 says clinicians who see a registered hospital outpatient "shall, at a minimum, report" POS 19 or 22. That holds "irrespective of the setting where the patient actually receives the face-to-face encounter." The same rule sets POS 21 for a registered inpatient, and allows POS 51 for a patient registered in an inpatient psychiatric facility.
| Situation | Code | Medicare rate |
|---|---|---|
| Session in your own office | 11 | Non facility |
| Patient registered as an outpatient on the hospital's main campus | 22 | Facility |
| Patient registered at an off campus hospital department | 19 | Facility |
| Patient registered as a hospital inpatient | 21, or 51 in an inpatient psychiatric facility | Facility |
| Patient registered in the emergency room | 23 | Facility |
What is place of service 12?
POS 12 is Home: a "location, other than a hospital or other facility, where the patient receives care in a private residence." It is for in person visits. A video session with the patient at home is POS 10. Medicare pays 12 at the non facility rate.
One behavioral health rule depends on it. The CMS crisis psychotherapy page says G0017 and G0018 are billed "in an applicable site of service (any place of service at which the non-facility rate for psychotherapy for crisis services applies, other than the office setting)." The same page says payment "is equal to 150% of the fee schedule amount for services furnished in non-facility sites of service."
- Crisis psychotherapy at the patient's home, or at any non-office site paid at the non facility rate: bill G0017/G0018, not 90839/90840.
Our 90839 guide has the table.
What is place of service 53?
POS 53 is Community Mental Health Center. The CMS description lists what a CMHC provides.
- Outpatient services, including for children, the elderly and the chronically ill
- 24 hour emergency care
- Day treatment, partial hospitalization or psychosocial rehabilitation
- Screening for admission to state mental health facilities
- Consultation and education
- If you are a CMHC, Medicare pays your professional claims with POS 53 at the facility rate: USD 135.27 for 90837, not USD 167.00. Confirm with each payer before you set 53 as the default.
- POS 52, partial hospitalization, is also paid at the facility rate.
More on certified clinics in our guide to CCBHC requirements.
Which POS and modifier go on a telehealth claim?
For Medicare professional claims, the MLN booklet says to use POS 02 or POS 10 as of January 1, 2024. Transmittal 12671 adds that the POS "must be paired with the appropriate telehealth modifier (modifier 93 for audio-only and modifier 95 for audio/video)."
| Session | POS | Modifier | Medicare rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video, patient at home | 10 | 95 | Non facility |
| Audio only, patient at home | 10 | 93 | Non facility |
| Video, patient at a clinic or other site | 02 | 95 | Facility |
| In person at your office | 11 | None for telehealth | Non facility |
- The MLN booklet allows audio only for behavioral and mental health telehealth when the patient is at home.
- It also requires an in person visit within 6 months of the first telehealth visit and every year after, with exceptions in 42 CFR 410.78(b)(3)(xiv)(B).
- Commercial and Medicaid telehealth rules are set by each plan and by state law. Read the payer's telehealth policy for its POS and modifier.
Why do claims get denied for place of service?
Each row below is one billing edit: the rule to check before the claim goes out.
| Problem | How it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Telehealth billed as POS 11 | The system reuses the office code for video visits | Use 02 or 10 for Medicare, or the payer's own rule |
| POS 02 for a patient at home | Telehealth defaults to 02, the pre 2022 meaning | Use 10 when the patient is at home |
| No telehealth modifier | POS 02 or 10 sent without 93 or 95 | Add 95 for video or 93 for audio only |
| POS 11 for a hospital outpatient | Clinician sees a registered outpatient in a hospital department | Use 19 or 22 for a registered outpatient |
| Home crisis visit billed as 90839 | Crisis code not matched to the site | G0017 and G0018 for non facility sites other than the office |
| POS 12 for a video visit | Home picked because the patient was at home | 12 is in person. Video at home is 10 |
| Payer uses its own rule | Medicaid or commercial plan does not follow Medicare | Check the payer's policy before the first claim |
More on working denials in our guide to denial management and claim scrubbing.
How do you pick the right place of service code?
- Where was the patient? Clinic, home, hospital, school, other.
- Was the session in person or by telehealth?
- If telehealth: at home is 10, anywhere else is 02, for Medicare.
- Is the patient registered as a hospital inpatient or outpatient? Then 21, 19 or 22, wherever the encounter happened.
- Is the clinic itself a CMHC, FQHC or other listed facility? Use that code where the payer expects it.
- Is it a crisis service outside the office? Check G0017 and G0018.
- Does the payer have its own POS rule for this service? Follow it.
- Does the note record the patient's location and the mode of the session?
What should you check before claims go out?
- Every telehealth line carries 02 or 10 and the right modifier for Medicare.
- Your Medicare POS 02 lines are reviewed against the patient location in the note.
- No telehealth line defaults to 02 when the patient was at home.
- Sessions with a registered hospital outpatient use 19 or 22.
- Home visits in person use 12. Video at home uses 10.
- Crisis services at home or another non office site use G0017 and G0018.
- Each payer's telehealth POS rule is recorded where billers can see it.
- The note shows where the patient was during the session.
Place of service codes FAQ
What are place of service codes?
Two digit codes on a professional claim that say where the service happened. CMS keeps the national list, and the electronic professional claim requires codes from it.
Where can I find the place of service codes?
On the CMS Place of Service Code Set page. Medicare's facility or non facility rate for each code is in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, updated by Transmittal 12671.
What is place of service 02?
Telehealth with the patient not at home, paid at the Medicare facility rate.
What is place of service 10?
Telehealth with the patient at home, paid at the Medicare non facility rate.
Does POS 10 pay more than POS 02?
Yes, under Medicare. In 2026 a 90837 pays USD 167.00 nationally with POS 10 and USD 135.27 with POS 02, before locality adjustment.
What is POS 11?
Office, paid at the Medicare non facility rate.
What is the difference between POS 11 and POS 22?
11 is your office; 22 is a registered hospital outpatient on the main campus, at the facility rate.
What is place of service 12?
Home, for in person visits. Video at home is POS 10.
What is place of service 53?
Community Mental Health Center, paid at the Medicare facility rate.
Which modifier goes with POS 02 or 10?
For Medicare, 95 for audio and video and 93 for audio only. The modifier does not change the rate. The POS does.
Is there a place of service code on a UB04?
The CMS place of service set is for professional claims. For an institutional claim, ask your Medicare contractor.
Do Medicaid and commercial plans follow the Medicare POS rules?
Not always. CMS tells billers to check with individual payers for their reimbursement policies on these codes.
For the codes on these claim lines, see our CPT pages: 90837, 90834, 90791, 90839 and 90846. Our guide to behavioral health billing covers the rest.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from a CMS source. Medicaid and commercial plans set their own rules.
- The CMS Place of Service Code Set page, last modified February 17, 2026
- CMS Transmittal 12671, June 6, 2024: the Medicare rate for each code
- The CMS MLN booklet Telehealth and Remote Monitoring, December 2025
- The CMS Psychotherapy for Crisis page, last modified February 25, 2026
- The CMS 2026 physician fee schedule relative value file, January release
Bill the place the patient was
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