ER HCPCS Level II modifier: Items and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department
ER is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Items and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
ERItems and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department
Short description: Off-campus ed service
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with ER in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 2019
Where ER sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier ERItems and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department
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 ER mean?
ER is the HCPCS code for “Items and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is ER in the HCPCS Level II list?
ER is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover ER?
CMS lists ER’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 ER
All modifiersECErythropoietic stimulating agent (esa) administered to treat anemia not due to anti-cancer radiotherapy or anti-cancer chemotherapyEDHematocrit level has exceeded 39% (or hemoglobin level has exceeded 13.0 g/dl) for 3 or more consecutive billing cycles immediately prior to and including the current cycleEEHematocrit level has not exceeded 39% (or hemoglobin level has not exceeded 13.0 g/dl) for 3 or more consecutive billing cycles immediately prior to and including the current cycleEJSubsequent claims for a defined course of therapy, e.g., epo, sodium hyaluronate, infliximabEMEmergency reserve supply (for esrd benefit only)EPService provided as part of medicaid early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment (epsdt) programETEmergency servicesEXExpatriate beneficiaryEYNo physician or other licensed health care provider order for this item or serviceF1Left hand, second digitF2Left hand, third digitF3Left hand, fourth digit