Book excerpt: HCFA has mandated implementation and use of certain variations in CPT coding conventions, including modifiers, for outpatient hospital reporting to Medicare. CPT 2000 for Hospital Outpatient Services is a specially annotated version of CPT. This educational reference correlates with HCFA's provisions of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for provider-based facilities owned by hospitals, including physician office practices. It includes special instructions related to hospital outpatient reporting of CPT codes and special symbols that correspond with Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs). Does not include a CPT Mini Book.As a special bonus, CPT 2000 for Hospital Outpatient Services comes with a complimentary copy of the May 2000 issue of CPT Assistant, the American Medical Association's award-winning monthly newsletter for coding professionals.This issue focuses on outpatient reporting, and includes guidelines for using the new and revised CPT modifiers, a brief background on the development and intent of the OPPS, and expert commentary on procedures that share both inpatient and outpatient characteristics.