Using the 068x Trauma Charge Code

In Fall 2025, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report entitled: “Hospitals Charged CMS for Trauma Team Activations That Did Not Comply With Federal Requirements.” This report has led many hospitals to review their trauma charge practices to assess compliance with the 068x requirements, as well as improved efforts to educate key stakeholders involved in revenue cycle management and billing.

The Revenue Code 068x was developed in the 2000s as a way to allow hospitals to be reimbursed for the extensive resources and specialized staff that are immediately available when an injured patient arrives in the Emergency Department. Trauma centers must be ready 24/7/365 and must ensure that the infrastructure, resources, and expertise are immediately available to provide life-saving trauma care.

As hospitals examine their billing practices, it is important to remember that the 068x code can only be used if the following 3 criteria are met:

• The hospital must be a designated trauma center

• The patient arrived with pre-hospital notification from EMS, police, or a transferring hospital

• The patient received a trauma activation

Bishop+Associates was involved in the original proposal of the 068x to CMS in the 2000s and has decades of experience in assessing and improving the trauma charge process at all levels of trauma care. Contact us today for help in implementing or evaluating the use of the 068x code in your hospital.