POS 11 vs POS 22: POS codes are vitally important to medical billing and RCM. It tells payers the patient was treated, which directly impacts reimbursement rates and claim approval.
Two of the most popular — and confusing — codes are POS 11 (Physician’s Office) and POS 22 (On-Campus Outpatient Hospital). Using the incorrect one can lead to denials, underpayments and compliance headaches that erode your profit margin.
In this post, we will explain the differences between POS 11 and Pos 22, demonstrate how they affect provider reimbursement and provide tips on avoiding expensive billing errors.
1) What is POS 11 on a Medical Bill?
POS 11 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is:
Office Place, other than a hospital, skilled nursing facility or other institution, where the health professional provides health examinations, diagnosis and treatment.
Role of POS 11
POS 11 is when services are provided in a physician’s, private office or an independent clinic where the provider usually owns or rents the space and all equipment.
Services that are billed with POS 11 include the following:
- Office visits (E/M codes such as 99202–99215).
- Outpatient minor surgical procedures done in a doctor’s office.
- You can visit us for preventive care and general check-ups.
- Managing chronic conditions (for example, diabetes and hypertension).
2) What is POS 22 in Medical Billing?
POS 22 is defined by CMS as:
On-Campus Outpatient Hospital — A department of a hospital’s main campus that provides diagnostic, therapeutic or surgical services to patients who are not inpatients.
Role of POS 22
POS 22 is to be used when care is delivered in a hospital-owned outpatient department — and the patient wasn’t admitted.
Services that are billed to POS 22 may include the following:
- Outpatient surgeries.
- Infusion therapy or chemotherapy.
- OPD imaging and diagnosis.
- Specialist consultations in hospital outpatient clinics.
3) Conclusion and Comparisons of Key Differences Between POS 11 vs POS 22
Location:
- POS 11: Office of other types of private physician outside medical office building or off-campus from a hospital.
- POS 22: Hospital – on Campus Outpatient Department.
Documentation:
- POS 11: Must have standard office documents.
- POS 22: Must show hospital outpatient facility participation in a clear manner.
Patient cost-sharing:
POS 22 also tends to have higher patient cost sharing because of facility fees, whereas POS 11 typically has lower patient liability.
4) POS 11 Vs POS 22: The Impact on Reimbursement
Reimbursement is different between POS 11 and POS 22:
- POS 11: By Physician under PFS; also you can get higher reimbursement for professional components.
- POS 22: Paid under OPPS; may be billed with both professional and institutional charges.
Medicare & Medicaid:
- Medicare pays less for the professional part in POS 22 because someone at the facility receives some of the payment.
- Commercial payers may have similar, but likely less total reimbursement for POS 22 providers that bill.
Bottom line: Billing POS 22 in error (instead of the intended POS 11) could cost you revenue and increase your patient’s out-of-pocket expense.
5) Office vs Outpatient Hospital Billing – What Providers Should Know
Office billing (POS 11):
- Simpler documentation.
- Typically higher reimbursement for physicians.
- It may be more attractive to patients, because there is less cost-sharing.
Hospital outpatient billing (POS 22):
- Necessary when procedure is done in a facility-owned setting.
- May be subject to split billing (provider/facility) restrictions.
- May result in lower payments to physicians and higher copays for patients.
Providers must verify ownership and identification of the service location. These are billed as independent when the site is actually hospital-owned, and those can result in audits or repayment.
6) POS Code Comparison Table (POS 11 vs POS 22)
| Feature | POS 11 – Office | POS 22 – On-Campus Outpatient Hospital |
| Location | Private office or clinic | Hospital-owned outpatient department |
| Payment Model | Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) | OPPS + professional fee |
| Reimbursement | Often higher for physicians | Usually split/lower for providers |
| Patient Cost | Typically lower | Often higher due to facility fees |
| Documentation | Standard office notes | Requires outpatient facility documentation |
| Compliance Risk | Low if office-owned | Higher if misclassified |
7) RCM Audit for POS Errors
RCM groups need to continuously audit POS codes in order to prevent expensive errors:
- Typical denials: POS was wrong leading to an underpayment or takeback.
- Compliance risk: In some cases, if a hospital-owned outpatient visit is incorrectly classified as an office visit, it may invite payer audits.
- Leakage of Revenue: Lost revenue due to system defaults that choose the wrong POS.
- Best practice: You should include POS code checks in your pre-billing and post-payment audits.
POS11 vs POS22 Incorrected Claims:
- Setting all EMR defaults to POS 11 for every visit.
- Billing POS 11 for service furnished in a hospital outpatient clinic.
- Failure to update POS when a provider moves to a hospital-owned office.
- Documented evidence of the site of care is missing.
Solution:
Leverage RCM automation solutions that identify POS code mismatches prior to submission.
8) POS 11 vs POS 22 Billing What are the Best Practices?
- Train your staff: Educate coders and billers on how to distinguish between an office and an outpatient hospital location.
- Update processes: Integrate payer-specific POS rules into your billing system.
- Utilize automation: Claim scrubbing and denial analytics can identify POS mismatches early.
- Conduct frequent audits: Keep a handle on RCM by consistently auditing either monthly or quarterly in an effort to prevent prolonged loss of revenue.
Conclusion
Pos 11 vs Pos 22 is important in order to bill correctly for accurate reimbursement and clean claims.
- POS 11 = Physician’s Office, High Provider Payment, Low patient payment.
- POS 22 = hospital OP/ASC sec opps shared greater compliance risk.
Takeaway: Routine RCM (revenue cycle management) audits, staff training on POS-related tasks and technology-based checks of claims can help safeguard revenue and avoid denials due to POS errors. Visit The Medicators for more information about Medical Billing Services across the USA.
FAQs
Q1. What is the distinction between POS 11 vs POS 22 in medical billing?
POS 11 is for the physician’s office; POS 22 is for hospital outpatient care.
Q2. What effects on provider revenue of POS 11 vs POS 22 reimbursement impacts?
POS 11 usually pays more in professional fees, whereas POS 22 will pay the facility and provider.
Q3. Why is it important in RCM—-Office vs Outpatient Hospital Billing?
It validates accurate payment, compliance and patient cost sharing.
Q4. What are the most Common Reasons POS is Not Used Correctly And Claims Are Denied?
EMR defaults, insufficient documentation or mischaracterizing hospital-owned clinics as private offices.
Q5. What can you do to make sure there are no errors in POS 11 vs POS 22 billing with RCM audits?
Audits identify POS mismatches early, lower denials and secure correct payer payment.
