Billing code · CMS place of service
POS code 56: Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center.
POS 56 means Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center. The CMS manual marks it as a facility-rate code.
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The CMS definition
A facility or distinct part of a facility for psychiatric care which provides a total 24-hour therapeutically planned and professionally staffed group living and learning environment.
That is the description CMS publishes for POS 56, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center, in the Place of Service Code Set and in chapter 26 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual. In the manual’s table it carries the Facility rate (F) designation for payment under the Physician Fee Schedule.
What it means in plain terms
POS 56 is for psychiatric residential care: a 24-hour therapeutically planned, professionally staffed group living and learning environment. It is a residential setting like POS 55, but for psychiatric care rather than substance abuse treatment.
When it is used
- A service is furnished in a facility, or a distinct part of one, whose function is 24-hour psychiatric residential care in a group living and learning environment.
- CMS gives POS 51 (Psychiatric Inpatient Facility) as the code for a registered psychiatric inpatient, and lists POS 53 for a community mental health center.
Billing implications (Medicare)
The manual marks POS 56 F, so Medicare physician fee schedule services reported with it are paid at the facility rate.
The general rule in section 10.6 of the manual is that the POS code “generally” reflects the actual setting where the beneficiary receives the face-to-face service, with two exceptions: a registered hospital inpatient or outpatient is reported with the hospital code regardless of where the encounter happens. The code goes in item 24B of the paper Form CMS-1500 or the matching field of the 837P. A claim with a missing or invalid POS is returned as unprocessable.
Look-alike codes
- POS 55: Residential substance abuse treatment facility. Non-facility rate.
- POS 57: Non-residential substance abuse treatment facility. Non-facility rate.
- POS 53: Community mental health center. Facility rate.
For every code in one list, with the 02 vs 10 vs 11 telehealth verdict, see the place of service code lookup.
Sources
- CMS: Place of Service Code Set — official code list and descriptions (retrieved 2026-11-02)
- CMS: Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 26 (Rev. 12779, issued 08-09-24) — sections 10.5 and 10.6, facility and non-facility designations and special considerations (retrieved 2026-11-02)
Every rule above was read from these CMS pages on November 2, 2026. Payers revise policies and contracts, so confirm anything that affects a claim with the payer or your Medicare Administrative Contractor.
Frequently asked questions
Is POS 56 a facility or non-facility rate code?
Facility. The CMS manual marks POS 56 with F.
What is the difference between POS 56 and POS 55?
Both are residential. POS 56 is a psychiatric residential treatment center; POS 55 is a residential substance abuse treatment facility.
Is POS 56 the same as an inpatient psychiatric hospital?
No. CMS lists a separate code, POS 51, for a psychiatric facility inpatient, and gives POS 51 as the example for a registered psychiatric inpatient.
Not legal, billing or medical advice
This page explains published CMS manual text. It cannot see your claim, your contract or any payer’s policy. Confirm with the payer or your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) before you bill, resubmit or appeal.