# Look up a medical code
URL: https://backworkhealth.com/docs/api/lookupCode

Looks up medical codes (CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10, NDC) and returns coverage information.

**Endpoint:** `GET /api/v1/codes/lookup`

**Availability:** Live in production.

**Authentication:** API key in `Authorization: Bearer <key>` with the `read` scope.

Looks up medical codes (CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10, NDC) and returns coverage information. When exact match fails and fuzzy is enabled, returns suggestions based on code similarity and description matching.

**Parameters**

* `code` (query, required): The medical code to look up
* `code_system` (query): Hint for code system
* `jurisdiction` (query): Filter policies by MAC jurisdiction code
* `include` (query): Comma-separated list of additional data to include: rvu, policies, rates. Note that "rates" returns an archived 2022-08 UnitedHealthcare-only Transparency in Coverage snapshot, not current multi-payer pricing - see NegotiatedRateSummary.
* `fuzzy` (query): Enable fuzzy matching on miss

**Code sources:** Code entries in the response carry a `source`: `document` when the policy document lists the code, `inferred_title_match` when the code was attached because the policy title names the drug. See [Code sources](/docs/code-sources).

**Example request**

```bash
curl -X GET "https://backworkhealth.com/api/v1/codes/lookup?code=76942&code_system=CPT&jurisdiction=JM&include=rvu%2Cpolicies%2Crates&fuzzy=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BACKWORK_API_KEY"
```

**Example response** (`200`)

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "code": "76942",
    "code_system": "HCPCS",
    "found": true,
    "description": "string",
    "short_description": "string",
    "category": "string",
    "betos_code": "string",
    "poa_exempt": true,
    "is_active": true,
    "rvu": {
      "work_rvu": "string",
      "pe_rvu_nonfacility": "string",
      "pe_rvu_facility": "string",
      "mp_rvu": "string",
      "total_rvu_nonfacility": "string",
      "total_rvu_facility": "string",
      "non_facility_price": "string",
      "facility_price": "string",
      "conversion_factor": "string",
      "global_days": "string",
      "status_code": "string",
      "year": 0
    },
    "negotiated_rates": {
      "min_rate": "string",
      "max_rate": "string",
      "avg_rate": "string",
      "num_rates": 0,
      "payer": "string",
      "arrangement": "string",
      "source": "string",
      "payer_scope": "string",
      "as_of": "string",
      "billing_code_set": "string",
      "is_current": true
    },
    "policies": [
      {
        "policy_id": "string",
        "title": "string",
        "policy_type": "string",
        "disposition": "string",
        "source": "document",
        "grounding": "grounded",
        "jurisdiction": "string",
        "applicability_scope": "shared_markets",
        "applicability_markets": [
          "string"
        ],
        "applicability_evidence": {
          "document_sha256": "string",
          "market_index_listings": [],
          "document_statements": []
        },
        "applicability_note": "string",
        "effective_date": "string",
        "source_url": "string",
        "public_url": "https://backworkhealth.com/policy/L33831",
        "source_check": {
          "source_url": "https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/lcd.aspx?lcdid=33831",
          "last_fetched_at": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
          "content_sha256": "9f86d081884c7d659a2feaa0c55ad015a3bf4f1b2b0b822cd15d6c15b0f00a08",
          "source_accuracy": []
        }
      }
    ],
    "suggestions": [
      {
        "code": "string",
        "code_system": "string",
        "description": "string",
        "score": 0,
        "match_type": "code"
      }
    ],
    "ndc_crosswalk": {
      "ndc": "string",
      "hcpcs_code": "string",
      "hcpcs_description": "string",
      "ndc_label": "string",
      "route": "string",
      "billing_units": "string",
      "conversion_factor": "string"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "string",
    "timestamp": "2026-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "includes": [
      "string"
    ],
    "fuzzy_enabled": true,
    "attributions": {
      "disclaimer": "string",
      "cpt": "string",
      "loinc": "string",
      "cms": "string",
      "payer_data": "string",
      "negotiated_rates": "string"
    }
  }
}
```