Summary & Overview
HCPCS G9275: Documentation of Current Non-Tobacco User
HCPCS Level II code G9275 denotes documentation that a patient is a current non-tobacco user. As a quality- and documentation-focused code, it supports clinical records and population health tracking for tobacco-use status, which has implications for preventive care measures and public health reporting. Nationally, clear capture of tobacco-use status is important for care coordination, risk stratification, and adherence to preventive care documentation standards.
Key payers in this review include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the code's clinical purpose and common care settings, a summary of how major payers treat documentation-focused HCPCS Level II codes, and context on where this code fits in quality measurement and preventive service workflows.
This report outlines benchmarks and utilization patterns where available, highlights relevant policy or guidance updates affecting documentation codes, and situates G9275 within clinical documentation practice for tobacco-use assessment. Data not available in the input will be noted as such in detailed sections.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code G9275 documents that a patient is a current non-tobacco user. This entry represents administrative or quality-related documentation confirming the patient's tobacco-use status as non-user at the time of assessment.
Service type: Preventive/behavioral health documentation.
Typical site of service: Outpatient clinic or ambulatory care setting, including primary care and preventive care visits where social history and health behavior documentation are captured.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A primary care patient presents for a routine preventive visit. The clinician documents social history and confirms the patient is a current non-tobacco user. This documentation may occur during an Annual Wellness Visit, a Medicare Wellness Visit, a problem-focused office visit, a nursing intake, or a behavioral health screening encounter. The workflow: patient intake collects tobacco use via questionnaire or interview; medical assistant or nurse records status in the chart; clinician reconfirms and documents the patient as a current non-tobacco user in the progress note and the structured social history field; coding/billing staff assign the HCPCS Level II code G9275 when payor policy permits separate reporting for documentation of non-tobacco use. Typical site of service includes outpatient clinic, primary care office, federally qualified health center, community health clinic, and ambulatory visit settings. Typical patient scenario: an adult with routine chronic disease management (eg, hypertension) attends a follow-up visit where tobacco use is verified as 'never' or 'former' but explicitly documented as a current non-tobacco user in the record, enabling G9275 to reflect that status according to payer rules.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services |