PSC Q601

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) is a four-character taxonomy used across U.S. federal procurement to classify the goods and services government entities acquire. PSCs provide a standardized field for FPDS/SAM reporting, spend analysis, category management, and contract line-item identification; governance and procedures for the PSC list are maintained in the Product and Service Codes Manual on Acquisition.gov.¹

PSC Q601 designates Medical Coding and Auditing services in federal procurement. Official listings and selection tools indicate the code is applied to contracts that perform clinical coding, claims coding, coding quality assurance, and medical-record audit functions; agencies use the code when reporting and tracking related contract spend in FPDS and category management systems.²

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — PSC Q601 overview
  • G2X — PSC Q602
  • G2X — PSC Q603

What this PSC covers

• Medical record coding services for diagnosis and procedure classification, including coding for ICD and CPT-based reporting.²
• Claims coding and charge capture to support reimbursement, billing, and claims submission workflows.²
• Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) coding support to align clinical records with coding and quality metrics.²
• Medical coding quality assurance, compliance reviews, and coder performance audits.²
• Retrospective and prospective medical record audits that validate coding accuracy and payment integrity.²
• Coding training, coder certification support, and programmatic coder competency initiatives when delivered as part of coding/audit services.²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Not specified by official sources.¹

Contracting notes

• Predominant-purpose coding: When a contract contains multiple services, the PSC recorded in FPDS should identify the predominant service by dollar value; selection guidance and maintenance of PSC assignments are described in the PSC Manual.¹
• Reporting implications: Assigning PSC Q601 to a contract line item ensures spend is discoverable for health-services category analyses and determines whether service-specific reporting or oversight applies. Not specified by official sources for thresholds or mandatory vehicles.¹

Frequently asked questions

• What is the official descriptor for PSC Q601?
  PSC Q601 is listed as Medical Coding and Auditing in authoritative PSC reference resources; the PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov is the controlling guidance for definitions and use in FPDS reporting.²

• When should a contracting officer choose Q601 instead of another medical PSC?
  Choose Q601 when the predominant deliverable is medical coding or auditing of clinical records (for claims, DRG assignment, coding validation, or formal coding audits). If nursing, transcription, or clinical staffing is primary, select an alternate medical PSC per the PSC Manual.¹

• Are specific NAICS codes mandated to pair with Q601 on solicitations?
  The procurement record must include an appropriate NAICS code, but the PSC Manual does not prescribe a single mandatory NAICS mapping for PSC Q601. Not specified by official sources.¹

• Does Q601 apply to electronic health‑record (EHR) data abstraction or only to coding/billing audits?
  Official PSC descriptions emphasize coding and auditing functions; if the requirement centers on EHR data abstraction (data extraction, registry reporting) rather than coding or billing, evaluate predominant purpose and select the PSC that best reflects the work scope.²

• Where is authoritative PSC guidance maintained and updated?
  Authoritative PSC definitions, management procedures, and FPDS use rules are maintained in the Product and Service Codes Manual on Acquisition.gov.¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC Q601 (code overview)
• Product and Service Codes Manual — Acquisition.gov.¹
• PSC selection and lookup tool — PSC Q601.²

References

1. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes Manual. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc_manual.
2. PSC Selection Tool — Q601 entry. https://psctool.us/psc/Q601.