Summary & Overview
HCPCS G9903: Patient Screened for Tobacco Use, Non-User
HCPCS Level II code G9903 documents that a patient was screened for tobacco use and identified as a tobacco non-user. Nationally, routine screening for tobacco use is a common preventive practice that supports public health goals and population health management by identifying patients who do not currently use tobacco and may benefit from ongoing prevention messaging. Recording non-use is important for quality reporting and population risk stratification.
Key payers examined include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code’s clinical context and typical sites of service, along with what to expect in terms of payer coverage patterns and documentation considerations. The publication outlines benchmarks where available, relevant policy updates affecting tobacco-use screening codes, and operational considerations for claims submission and quality measurement. The content is intended for national audiences including providers, billing teams, and policy stakeholders seeking clarity on how G9903 is used in routine preventive care documentation.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code G9903 indicates that a patient was screened for tobacco use and identified as a tobacco non-user. This represents a brief preventive screening service focused on tobacco use status.
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Service type: Preventive screening for tobacco use status
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Typical site of service: Primary care or other ambulatory outpatient settings where tobacco use screening is conducted
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult presenting for a primary care or preventive medicine visit at an outpatient clinic, community health center, or federally qualified health center. As part of the routine intake and health maintenance screening, medical staff or the clinician asks standard tobacco use screening questions. The patient reports never having used tobacco or having quit more than a lifetime ago and is documented as a tobacco non-user. The screening result G9903 is recorded in the electronic health record and submitted for quality reporting and preventive-screening tracking. The workflow: registration or rooming staff collect social history including tobacco use; the clinician confirms the screen during the visit; documentation includes the screening method (self-report/ask), the patient response as a non-user, date of screen, and any counseling was not required. The service is typically billed from outpatient primary care, preventive medicine visits, or community screening encounters and used for population health and value-based care reporting.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Rarely used; only if extraordinary additional work is documented during the visit related to extensive preventive counseling beyond the standard screen. |