authorization code

auth_cd

claims

Updated 5/16/2026

Definition

The unique alphanumeric identifier assigned by a payer to confirm approval of a prior authorization request for specific healthcare services. Referenced across EHR, claims adjudication, and utilization management systems to validate service eligibility during billing, preventing claim denials due to missing or mismatched authorization identifiers.

Standard Abbreviation

auth_cd

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  clm_id VARCHAR(50),
  auth_cd VARCHAR(20),  -- authorization code (max 20 chars)
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT
  clm_id,
  auth_cd as authorization_code
FROM claims;

Common uses in healthcare data

Claims adjudication and remittance processing
837P/837I/837D claim file parsing and validation
Revenue cycle management and denial analytics
CMS cost report and Medicare cost reporting
Payer contract performance and underpayment analysis

Example database column name

ISO-11179 snake_case standard

-- Recommended column name
auth_cd

-- Example DDL
CREATE TABLE healthcare_data (
  record_id   VARCHAR(50)   NOT NULL,
  auth_cd      VARCHAR(20),  -- authorization code (max 20 chars)
  created_dt  TIMESTAMP     NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW()
);

Column names follow the ISO-11179 naming convention: lowercase, underscore-separated, using the standard abbreviation as a prefix where applicable.

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