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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesAlcohol and Drug Abuse TreatmentHCPCS hcpcs-h0005-group-counseling-substance-use-clinician
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    HCPCS H0005: Alcohol and/or Drug Group Counseling by Clinician

    HCPCS Level II code H0005 describes alcohol and/or drug group counseling services provided by a clinician, representing a behavioral health group therapy service delivered in an outpatient or community treatment setting where multiple patients participate in structured counseling focused on substance use disorders.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Home Health Care Services - Medical Policy, Adult Foster Care, Group Adult Foster Care Clinical Coverage Criteria.

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    Table of contents

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A typical patient is a 32-year-old adult diagnosed with alcohol use disorder who attends a scheduled group counseling session at an outpatient behavioral health clinic. The group is led by a licensed clinician (such as a licensed clinical social worker or substance use counselor) and consists of 6–10 participants meeting for 60 minutes to discuss coping strategies, relapse prevention, and psychoeducation. The workflow begins with patient check-in and brief screening for acute intoxication or withdrawal, followed by a clinician-led check-in, structured therapeutic interventions (cognitive-behavioral techniques, motivational interviewing), and documentation of attendance, group content, and progress in the electronic health record. Billing staff apply the H0005 HCPCS Level II code for group counseling by a clinician, attach appropriate modifiers if applicable, and ensure the visit is linked to the participant’s primary substance-related ICD-10 diagnosis in the chart for claims submission.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    90791Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation (no medical services)Often used for initial assessment before enrollment in group counseling to establish diagnosis and treatment plan.
    90853Group psychotherapy (other than of a multiple-family group)Closely related therapy code; payers may require H0005 for substance-specific group counseling while 90853 is used for psychotherapy groups.
    99408Alcohol and/or substance (other than tobacco) abuse structured screening and brief intervention services; 15 to 30 minutesUsed for brief interventions that may precede or follow group sessions for screening and brief counseling.
    99409Alcohol and/or substance (other than tobacco) abuse structured screening and brief intervention services; greater than 30 minutesUsed when brief intervention exceeds 30 minutes as part of intake or follow-up.
    96127Brief emotional/behavioral assessment (e.g., depression inventory)Utilized for standardized symptom monitoring before, during, or after group treatment to track outcomes.

    Related Modifiers

    5 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    95Modifier 95 indicates that a service was provided via synchronous, real‑time audio‑video telehealth rather than in‑person. Per CMS, AAPC and professional associations, append modifier 95 to claim…- Use modifier 95 to indicate a service was furnished via synchronous, real‑time audiovisual telehealth (a live audio‑video conference between patient and provider) rather than in‑person. - Pair…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    163W00000X
    1041C0700X
    101Y00000X
    106H00000X
    103T00000X
    332800000X
    174MM1900X
    1835C0205X

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Home Health & Hospice1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Home Health Care Services - Medical PolicyHealth-New-England2027-02-01
    Adult Foster Carefallon_community_health_plan_inc2027-01-27
    Group Adult Foster Care Clinical Coverage Criteriafallon_community_health_plan_inc2027-01-01
    Hospice and Palliative Care- Medical PolicyHealth-New-England2026-12-01
    Home Health Care Payment Policyfallon_community_health_plan_inc2026-12-01
    Private Duty Nursing Services (for Ohio Only)Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-11-01
    Personal Care Attendant and Personal Care Management Agency ServicesMass General Brigham Health Plan2026-11-01
    Private Duty Nursing in the Home SettingAnthem2026-10-01
    Home Health, Skilled, and Custodial Care Services (for Nebraska Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01
    Home Health, Skilled, and Custodial Care Services (for Tennessee Only)UnitedHealthcare2026-10-01

    Related Codes

    HCPCS-H0001-ALCOHOL-DRUG-ASSESSMENT-OUTPATIENT

    HCPCS H0001: Alcohol and/or Drug Assessment

    HCPCS-H0002-BEHAVIORAL-HEALTH-SCREENING-ADMISSION-ELIGIBILITY

    HCPCS H0002: Behavioral Health Screening for Treatment Admission

    HCPCS-H0003-ALCOHOL-DRUG-SCREENING-LAB-ANALYSIS

    HCPCS Level II H0003: Alcohol and/or Drug Screening Laboratory Analysis

    HCPCS-H0004-BEHAVIORAL-HEALTH-COUNSELING-15-MINUTE

    HCPCS H0004: Behavioral Health Counseling and Therapy, per 15 Minutes

    HCPCS-H0006-ALCOHOL-DRUG-CASE-MANAGEMENT

    HCPCS H0006: Alcohol and/or Drug Services, Case Management

    HCPCS-H0007-ALCOHOL-DRUG-CRISIS-INTERVENTION-OUTPATIENT

    HCPCS H0007: Alcohol and/or Drug Crisis Intervention (Outpatient)

    HCPCS-H0008-SUB-ACUTE-DETOXIFICATION-HOSPITAL-INPATIENT

    HCPCS H0008: Alcohol and/or Drug Sub-Acute Detoxification (Inpatient)

    HCPCS-H0009-ACUTE-DETOXIFICATION-HOSPITAL-INPATIENT

    HCPCS Level II H0009: Acute Detoxification, Hospital Inpatient

    HCPCS-H0010-SUB-ACUTE-RESIDENTIAL-DETOXIFICATION

    HCPCS H0010: Sub-Acute Detoxification, Residential Inpatient

    HCPCS-H0011-ACUTE-DETOXIFICATION-RESIDENTIAL-INPATIENT

    HCPCS H0011: Acute Detoxification, Residential Addiction Inpatient

    Showing 1–10 of 93

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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