2025 NUBC Discharge Status Codes are critical for accurate hospital billing and compliance. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of all discharge status codes used in 2025, including those for specialty settings, hospice, swing beds, and planned readmissions.
What Are Discharge Status Codes and Why They Matter in 2025
Below is the full two-digit NUBC (UB-04 FL-17) discharge status code set used in 2025, covering routine, specialty, hospice, swing-bed, disaster, and planned readmission dispositions. Codes unchanged for FY 2025 ensure accurate billing, compliance, and quality reporting across all Part A institutional claims. Every code is sourced from official Noridian JE, ResDAC, CMS transmittals, and Palmetto GBA modules.
Full Discharge Status Code List
| Code | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Discharged to home or self-care | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} |
| 02 | Transfer to short-term general hospital | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} |
| 03 | Transfer to Medicare-certified SNF | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} |
| 04 | Transfer to custodial/supportive care | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} |
| 05 | Transfer to cancer center/children’s hospital | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} |
| 06 | Transfer to home under home health care | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} |
| 07 | Left Against Medical Advice (AMA) | CMS Manual Pub 100-04 Ch 25 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6} |
| 08 | Reserved for national assignment | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7} |
| 09 | Admitted as inpatient to this hospital | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8} |
| 20 | Expired (autopsy performed) | Transmittal R1915CP :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9} |
| 21 | Expired (place transferred to court/law enforcement) | Transmittal 1718 CR 6385 :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10} |
| 30 | Still a patient (interim bill) | Transmittal R1915CP :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11} |
| 40 | Expired at home (hospice only) | WHA Discharge Manual :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12} |
| 41 | Expired in medical facility (hospice only) | WHA Discharge Manual :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13} |
| 42 | Expired – place unknown | WHA Discharge Manual :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14} |
| 43 | Transfer to federal health care facility | WHA Discharge Manual :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15} |
| 50 | Hospice – home | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16} |
| 51 | Hospice – medical facility | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17} |
| 61 | Transfer to hospital-based swing bed | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18} |
| 62 | Transfer to inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19} |
| 63 | Transfer to long-term care hospital (LTCH) | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20} |
| 64 | Transfer to Medicaid-only nursing facility | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21} |
| 65 | Transfer to psychiatric hospital/unit | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22} |
| 66 | Transfer to Critical Access Hospital (CAH) | ResDAC :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23} |
| 69 | Transfer to disaster alternate care site (10/1/13) | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24} |
| 70 | Transfer to other health-care institution | Noridian JE Part A :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25} |
| 81–95 | Planned readmissions across settings (home, hospital, SNF, etc.) | ResDAC :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26} |
Why These Codes Matter in 2025
Specialty settings such as hospice (40–43, 50–51), rehabilitation (62), psychiatric (65), CAH (66), and disaster care (69) appear frequently in post-acute workflows and must be coded precisely to avoid payment errors and denials :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}. Interim billing rules require code 30 until final claim, or audits will flag continuous billing errors :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}. Missing home IV care code 08 leads to denials when DME or home infusion services apply :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}.
Reserved & Discontinued Codes
Codes 10–19, 22–29, 31–39, 44–49, 52–60, 67–68, 71–80, 96–99 are reserved or discontinued. Do not use these; they will auto-deny on institutional claims :contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}.
References
- Noridian JE Part A: Patient Discharge Status Codes :contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}
- WHA Discharge Manual Appendix 7.9 :contentReference[oaicite:32]{index=32}
- Novitas Solutions: Discharge Status Code Reporting :contentReference[oaicite:33]{index=33}
- CMS Transmittal 1718 (FL-17 & code 21) :contentReference[oaicite:34]{index=34}
- HL7 AHA NUBC CodeSystem :contentReference[oaicite:35]{index=35}
- NUBC UB-04 Data Specifications Manual :contentReference[oaicite:36]{index=36}
- ResDAC: Patient Discharge Status Code (FFS) :contentReference[oaicite:37]{index=37}
- Palmetto GBA: Discharge Status & Transfers Module :contentReference[oaicite:38]{index=38}
- CMS: Why Discharge Status Codes Matter :contentReference[oaicite:39]{index=39}
- Community Health Options: Interim & Split Billing Policy :contentReference[oaicite:40]{index=40}