S9981 HCPCS Level II code: Medical records copying fee, administrative
S9981 is the HCPCS code for “Medical records copying fee, administrative” in CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026.
Official description
S9981Medical records copying fee, administrative
Short description: Med record copy admin
HCPCS · United States
Notes for S9981
As CMS prints them, with any note S9981 takes from the headings above it.
Note
- CMS processing note 0088: "S" CODES ARE UNIQUE TEMPORARY CODES ESTABLISHED BY BCBSA AND HIAA FOR PRIVATE PAYOR USE. THEY ARE NOT VALID NOR PAYABLE BY MEDICARE.
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with S9981 in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Not payable by Medicare
- Medicare pricing
- Service not separately priced by Part B (e.g., services not covered, bundled, used by Part A only, etc.)
- Type of service
- Other medical items or services
- BETOS category
- Undefined codes
- Added
- Jan 1, 2002
Where S9981 sits
- 1S codesTemporary national codes (non-Medicare)
- 2Active code S9981Medical records copying fee, administrative
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 S9981 mean?
S9981 is the HCPCS code for “Medical records copying fee, administrative” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Does Medicare cover S9981?
CMS lists S9981’s Medicare coverage as “Not payable by Medicare” and its pricing as “Service not separately priced by Part B (e.g., services not covered, bundled, used by Part A only, etc.)”. 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 S9981
All S codesS9960Ambulance service, conventional air service, nonemergency transport, one way (fixed wing)S9961Ambulance service, conventional air service, nonemergency transport, one way (rotary wing)S9970Health club membership, annualS9975Transplant related lodging, meals and transportation, per diemS9976Lodging, per diem, not otherwise classifiedS9977Meals, per diem, not otherwise specifiedS9982Medical records copying fee, per pageS9986Not medically necessary service (patient is aware that service not medically necessary)S9988Services provided as part of a phase i clinical trialS9989Services provided outside of the united states of america (list in addition to code(s) for service(s))S9990Services provided as part of a phase ii clinical trialS9991Services provided as part of a phase iii clinical trial