AI HCPCS Level II modifier: Principal physician of record
AI is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Principal physician of record.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
AIPrincipal physician of record
Short description: Principal physician of rec
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with AI in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 2010
Where AI sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier AIPrincipal physician of record
Source and release
- Data release
- HCPCS Level II · October 2026
- Effective date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CMS
This page is built from the HCPCS Level II catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s October 2026 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCPCS code AI mean?
AI is the HCPCS code for “Principal physician of record” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is AI in the HCPCS Level II list?
AI is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover AI?
CMS lists AI’s Medicare coverage as “Carrier judgment”. Coverage and payment still depend on the patient, the setting, the documentation and the payer.
Which HCPCS Level II release does this page use?
It uses CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside AI
All modifiersACInitial onboarding support payment for access beneficiary enrollment, device/app setup, and care coordination activities; first month only; once per beneficiary per trackADMedical supervision by a physician: more than four concurrent anesthesia proceduresAERegistered dieticianAFSpecialty physicianAGPrimary physicianAHClinical psychologistAJClinical social workerAKNon participating physicianAMPhysician, team member serviceAOAlternate payment method declined by provider of serviceAPDetermination of refractive state was not performed in the course of diagnostic ophthalmological examinationAQPhysician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa)