External Code Effective Dates
When a new revision of an external code list is released, the external code list file associated with the newly released external code list revision is updated to reflect any new codes or modifications to existing codes. For new codes, if an effective date is specified, that date is used as the effective start date for the new code.
The effective date for a code is used to determine whether the code is valid for use by HIPAA transactions. If a code used in a HIPAA transaction is found to be outside of the code's effective date range, a validation error occurs. The date used in the HIPAA transaction for comparing against a code's effective date is determined as follows:
| • | Transaction Date: For non-medical code lists, the effective date of a code is compared to the transaction date. |
| • | Date of Service: For medical code lists, the effective date of the code is compared to the date of service specified in the transaction. |