Office visit · CPT 99212

What is CPT code 99212?

Established-patient office visit, straightforward complexity.

By Justin Feldstein · Reviewed 2026-06-15

What it covers

A short, simple visit with a doctor you've already seen, involving the provider directly but covering an easy, low-risk issue with straightforward decision-making. This is the level for a quick, single-problem follow-up, like a brief medication refill discussion or a look at one minor complaint, where the visit is genuinely simple but still needs the physician rather than just staff.

When you'd see it

You'll see it after a brief, focused appointment for one uncomplicated issue with a provider who already knows you.

Roughly what it costs

$70–$150 commonly billed

A ballpark on the billed amount. After insurance or a negotiated rate, what you owe is often far lower. Always compare against your Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

What's usually billed with it

May appear with a small add-on service from the same visit, such as a blood draw (36415) or a quick in-office test.

99212 vs 99213

99213 covers a slightly more involved follow-up, so a very short single-issue visit shouldn't automatically be billed at 99213 or higher. See 99213 (established-patient, low complexity).

What to watch for

If your visit was a fast, one-topic check-in, confirm it wasn't billed at the more involved 99213 level. The jump from 99212 to 99213 is small on paper but meaningful on the bill.

Specific things to question

• Whether a quick single-issue follow-up was billed up to 99213 or 99214.
• Whether the visit needed the provider at all, or was really a minimal 99211 recheck.
• Whether the level matches how much was actually discussed and decided.

How to check this charge on your own bill

Find 99212 on your itemized bill and match it against your EOB. Confirm it appears only once, that any bundled services aren't also billed separately, and that the amount matches what your insurer says it allowed. If something doesn't line up, that's a fair question for the billing office.