New place of service code for treating unsheltered people

Editor's note: This post was updated after CMS announced it would accept POS 27 in claims processing.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) committee recently created a new place of service (POS) code to report services to unsheltered people. Per CMS, POS 27, “Outreach Site/Street,” describes a “non-permanent location on the street or found environment, not described by any other POS code, where health professionals provide preventive, screening, diagnostic, and/or treatment services to unsheltered homeless individuals.”

Created at the request of industry, the new POS code addresses a need to help identify care rendered to those unable to access brick-and-mortar health care facilities or telehealth. It also may allow for the tracking of care provided through various outreach sites. The code is technically effective for dates of service on or after Oct. 1, but CMS has given its Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) until Jan. 1, 2024, to implement the change.

Check with the MAC in your area to determine when it will be ready to accept claims with the new POS code. You will also need to check with other payers to whom you submit claims on how they will handle the new POS code.

— Kent Moore, AAFP Senior Manager for Payment Strategies

Updated on Oct. 12, 2023