Summary & Overview
HCPCS G9622: Negative Screening for Unhealthy Alcohol Use
HCPCS Level II code G9622 documents that a patient was not identified as an unhealthy alcohol user after screening with a systematic method. As a screening-status code, it standardizes documentation of negative alcohol-use screening results across ambulatory and outpatient settings, supporting quality measurement and compliance with preventive care expectations. Nationally, consistent use of this code can improve reporting accuracy for population health initiatives and payer performance metrics.
Key payers covered in this summary include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find context on clinical use and service settings, how the code fits into behavioral health screening workflows, and which payers commonly recognize screening-status HCPCS codes. The publication outlines typical applications for G9622, the implications for documentation and claims submission, and where to find related screening measure guidance.
This overview is written for a national audience and focuses on clinical and administrative implications rather than state-specific policy. Data not available in the input is identified where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code G9622 indicates that a patient was not identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method. This code documents the negative screening result for unhealthy alcohol use.
Service type: Behavioral health screening / alcohol use screening
Typical site of service: Outpatient clinical settings, including primary care, preventive care visits, and other ambulatory care environments where systematic screening for unhealthy alcohol use is performed.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old patient presents to a primary care clinic for an annual preventive visit. As part of the clinic’s systematic behavioral health screening program, the medical assistant administers a validated alcohol screening tool (for example, the AUDIT-C questionnaire) prior to the clinician encounter. The screening result is documented in the electronic health record as negative for unhealthy alcohol use, but during the clinician interview new contextual information emerges (recent job-related stress and increased weekend drinking) that suggests the patient may meet criteria for unhealthy alcohol use. The clinician re-assesses alcohol use but the practice’s documented screening record still indicates the initial systematic screening did not identify unhealthy alcohol use.
In workflow terms: intake staff perform structured screen → results routed to EHR → clinician reviews results and performs clinical assessment → clinician documents discrepancy between systematic screen and clinical judgment. Billing for G9622 is used to indicate the systematic screen failed to identify an unhealthy alcohol user despite later identification in the visit documentation. Typical sites of service include outpatient primary care clinics, family medicine, internal medicine, and community health centers where standardized screening protocols are used.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 |