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HCPCS Level II S9996: Meals for Clinical Trial Participant and Caregiver

HCPCS Level II code S9996 denotes the provision of meals for a clinical trial participant and one caregiver or companion. This non-clinical support service facilitates participant attendance and compliance with study visits and may affect trial logistics and patient experience. Nationally, codes that cover participant support services are important for documenting trial-related expenses and coordinating reimbursement or sponsor billing.

Key payers included in the discussion are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of what the code represents, typical sites of service, and the contexts in which the code is used. The publication also summarizes common payer coverage practices and benchmarks where available, highlights relevant policy considerations for billing trial-related support services, and outlines clinical context for use during study visits.

This analysis is intended for billing managers, research administrators, and policy analysts seeking a national perspective on documenting meal services tied to clinical trial participation. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

HCPCS Level II code S9996 represents meals provided to a clinical trial participant and one caregiver/companion. The service is a non-medical support item tied to participation in a research or clinical trial protocol.

Service type: Participant and caregiver meal provision associated with clinical trial participation
Typical site of service: Clinical trial site, research clinic, or affiliated facility where study visits occur

Data not available in the input.

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HCPCS Level II S9996: Meals for Clinical Trial Participant and Caregiver

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Get alerted when payer policies referencing S9996 are released or updated.

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Participant and caregiver meal provision associated with clinical trial participation
Typical site of service: Clinical trial site, research clinic, or affiliated facility where study visits occur

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient scenario involves an adult enrolled in a sponsored clinical trial receiving study-related meals while attending an on-site visit. The participant arrives for a multi-hour study visit that includes informed consent review, baseline assessments, specimen collection, and imaging. The participant’s primary caregiver accompanies them to assist with transportation and decision support. The clinical workflow: registration and verification of trial enrollment; confirmation of eligibility and required fasting or dietary restrictions; provision of meals per the trial protocol to the participant and one caregiver/companion; documentation in the research visit record including date/time, meal type, and that the meal was provided as part of the study; capture of the billing entry using HCPCS Level II code S9996 linked to the visit charge. Typical site of service is a clinical research facility, hospital outpatient research unit, or affiliated clinic where research visits are conducted. Service type: non-invasive ancillary support service (participant support — meal provision).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier	Used when no modifier applies to the service and the procedure is billed as submitted.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Used when the level of effort or resources for providing the meal (e.g., complex dietary preparation for medically necessary therapeutic diet required by protocol) is significantly greater than typical.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Not typically applicable; include only if anesthesia services are rendered for other procedures on the same claim and require linkage.
`52`	Reduced services	Used if the meal provided is a reduced service relative to the usual study-defined meal (e.g., partial meal due to participant intolerance).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Used if the planned meal provision was started but discontinued before completion for clinical reasons.
`54`	Surgical care only	Not applicable to meal provision but included when a surgical procedure on the same claim separates post-op care.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Not applicable to this service; used when postoperative care is billed separately.
`56`	Preoperative management only	Rarely applicable; used if preoperative services are billed separately on the same claim.
`62`	Two surgeons	Not applicable to meal provision; relevant if surgical services are reported on the same claim.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery	Not applicable to meal provision; used when applicable clinical staff assist in surgery.
`CO`	Left-had or right-hand etc. (payer-specific)	Payer-specific usage; apply only per payer rules if required to indicate laterality on a related service.
`CQ`	Service furnished by an assistant surgeon	Not applicable to meal provision; used when assistant surgeon services are billed.
`FX`	Split (primary/secondary)	Use when services are split between multiple providers or facilities and payor requires such reporting on associated charges.
`FY`	Split (primary/secondary)	As with `FX`, used per payer requirements to indicate split billing responsibility.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`163W00000X`	Clinical Research Coordinator	Most common staff responsible for coordinating participant services including meal logistics and documentation.
`208D00000X`	General Internal Medicine	Physicians overseeing clinical trial visits and medical eligibility determinations.
`367A00000X`	Clinical Dietitian/Nutritionist	Provides medically indicated meals, dietary counseling, and preparation per protocol-specified diets.
`208000000X`	Family Medicine	Primary care physicians who may refer or co-manage trial participants and authorize study-related supports.
`3336C0005X`	Hospitalist	Manages inpatient-affiliated research visits and coordinates support services, including meals, during research encounters.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z00.6`	Encounter for examination for normal comparison and control in clinical research program	Common listing when the visit is a research study visit and the primary purpose is participation in a clinical trial where meals are provided.
`Z51.89`	Encounter for other specified aftercare	Used when a participant attends study visits that include protocol-defined supportive care such as meal provision during follow-up.
`Z76.89`	Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstances	Applicable for companion or caregiver visits when a caregiver accompanies the participant and receives a provided meal.
`R63.5`	Abnormal weight gain	Relevant for nutrition-intervention studies where meals are provided to manage weight-related endpoints.
`E66.9`	Obesity, unspecified	Common in trials involving dietary interventions or metabolic studies where protocol-specified meals are provided.
`E11.9`	Type 2 diabetes mellitus without complications	Frequently associated with studies requiring standardized meals for glycemic testing or metabolic assessments.
`F33.1`	Major depressive disorder, recurrent moderate	Applicable in behavioral health or psychiatric trials that include meal provision as part of participant support during visits.
`I10`	Essential (primary) hypertension	Common comorbidity in trial populations where standardized meals are used for cardiovascular or metabolic studies.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 15 minutes	Commonly performed for clinical assessments during a research visit before or after meals are provided.
`93000`	Electrocardiogram, routine EKG with at least 12 leads; with interpretation and report	Performed during study visits where cardiac monitoring is required; may occur before meal provision if fasting status is relevant.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Frequently performed during research visits for labs; specimens often collected alongside provision of study meals for participant convenience.
`73562`	Radiologic examination, knee; 2 views	Example imaging frequently scheduled during multi-modality research visits; meal provision supports participant comfort during longer visits.
`99070`	Supplies and materials provided by the physician over and above those usually included with the office visit	Used to report additional non-covered supplies; in some billing contexts, institution-level reporting of study-provided items (note: `S9996` is the primary code for meals).

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HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8940-EQUESTRIAN-HIPPOTHERAPY-PER-SESSION

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HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9024-PARANASAL-SINUS-ULTRASOUND

HCPCS Level II S9024: Paranasal Sinus Ultrasound

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9366-HOME-TPN-1-2L-PER-DAY-HOME-INFUSION

HCPCS Level II S9366: Home TPN, 1–2 L/day, Per Diem

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9446-GROUP-PATIENT-EDUCATION-NON-PHYSICIAN

HCPCS Level II S9446: Group Patient Education by Non-Physician Provider

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9451-EXERCISE-CLASS-NON-PHYSICIAN-SESSION

HCPCS Level II S9451: Exercise Classes by Non-Physician Provider, Per Session

Showing 1–10 of 532

References

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.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.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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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier	Used when no modifier applies to the service and the procedure is billed as submitted.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Used when the level of effort or resources for providing the meal (e.g., complex dietary preparation for medically necessary therapeutic diet required by protocol) is significantly greater than typical.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Not typically applicable; include only if anesthesia services are rendered for other procedures on the same claim and require linkage.
`52`	Reduced services	Used if the meal provided is a reduced service relative to the usual study-defined meal (e.g., partial meal due to participant intolerance).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Used if the planned meal provision was started but discontinued before completion for clinical reasons.
`54`	Surgical care only	Not applicable to meal provision but included when a surgical procedure on the same claim separates post-op care.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Not applicable to this service; used when postoperative care is billed separately.
`56`	Preoperative management only	Rarely applicable; used if preoperative services are billed separately on the same claim.
`62`	Two surgeons	Not applicable to meal provision; relevant if surgical services are reported on the same claim.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery	Not applicable to meal provision; used when applicable clinical staff assist in surgery.
`CO`	Left-had or right-hand etc. (payer-specific)	Payer-specific usage; apply only per payer rules if required to indicate laterality on a related service.
`CQ`	Service furnished by an assistant surgeon	Not applicable to meal provision; used when assistant surgeon services are billed.
`FX`	Split (primary/secondary)	Use when services are split between multiple providers or facilities and payor requires such reporting on associated charges.
`FY`	Split (primary/secondary)	As with `FX`, used per payer requirements to indicate split billing responsibility.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`163W00000X`	Clinical Research Coordinator	Most common staff responsible for coordinating participant services including meal logistics and documentation.
`208D00000X`	General Internal Medicine	Physicians overseeing clinical trial visits and medical eligibility determinations.
`367A00000X`	Clinical Dietitian/Nutritionist	Provides medically indicated meals, dietary counseling, and preparation per protocol-specified diets.
`208000000X`	Family Medicine	Primary care physicians who may refer or co-manage trial participants and authorize study-related supports.
`3336C0005X`	Hospitalist	Manages inpatient-affiliated research visits and coordinates support services, including meals, during research encounters.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z00.6`	Encounter for examination for normal comparison and control in clinical research program	Common listing when the visit is a research study visit and the primary purpose is participation in a clinical trial where meals are provided.
`Z51.89`	Encounter for other specified aftercare	Used when a participant attends study visits that include protocol-defined supportive care such as meal provision during follow-up.
`Z76.89`	Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstances	Applicable for companion or caregiver visits when a caregiver accompanies the participant and receives a provided meal.
`R63.5`	Abnormal weight gain	Relevant for nutrition-intervention studies where meals are provided to manage weight-related endpoints.
`E66.9`	Obesity, unspecified	Common in trials involving dietary interventions or metabolic studies where protocol-specified meals are provided.
`E11.9`	Type 2 diabetes mellitus without complications	Frequently associated with studies requiring standardized meals for glycemic testing or metabolic assessments.
`F33.1`	Major depressive disorder, recurrent moderate	Applicable in behavioral health or psychiatric trials that include meal provision as part of participant support during visits.
`I10`	Essential (primary) hypertension	Common comorbidity in trial populations where standardized meals are used for cardiovascular or metabolic studies.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 15 minutes	Commonly performed for clinical assessments during a research visit before or after meals are provided.
`93000`	Electrocardiogram, routine EKG with at least 12 leads; with interpretation and report	Performed during study visits where cardiac monitoring is required; may occur before meal provision if fasting status is relevant.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Frequently performed during research visits for labs; specimens often collected alongside provision of study meals for participant convenience.
`73562`	Radiologic examination, knee; 2 views	Example imaging frequently scheduled during multi-modality research visits; meal provision supports participant comfort during longer visits.
`99070`	Supplies and materials provided by the physician over and above those usually included with the office visit	Used to report additional non-covered supplies; in some billing contexts, institution-level reporting of study-provided items (note: `S9996` is the primary code for meals).

HCPCS Level II S2152: Solid Organ Transplantation Global Care

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S2266-INDUCED-ABORTION-29-TO-31-WEEKS

HCPCS Level II S2266: Induced Abortion, 29 to 31 Weeks

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S3630-EOSINOPHIL-COUNT-BLOOD-DIRECT

HCPCS Level II S3630: Eosinophil Count, Blood, Direct

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S4017-INCOMPLETE-ART-CYCLE-CANCELLED-PRIOR-TO-STIMULATION

HCPCS Level II S4017: Incomplete ART Cycle, Cancelled Prior to Stimulation

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8055-ULTRASOUND-GUIDANCE-MULTIFETAL-REDUCTION-TC

HCPCS Level II S8055: Ultrasound Guidance for Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction, Technical Component

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8940-EQUESTRIAN-HIPPOTHERAPY-PER-SESSION

HCPCS Level II S8940: Equestrian/Hippotherapy, Per Session

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9024-PARANASAL-SINUS-ULTRASOUND

HCPCS Level II S9024: Paranasal Sinus Ultrasound

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9366-HOME-TPN-1-2L-PER-DAY-HOME-INFUSION

HCPCS Level II S9366: Home TPN, 1–2 L/day, Per Diem

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9446-GROUP-PATIENT-EDUCATION-NON-PHYSICIAN

HCPCS Level II S9446: Group Patient Education by Non-Physician Provider

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9451-EXERCISE-CLASS-NON-PHYSICIAN-SESSION

HCPCS Level II S9451: Exercise Classes by Non-Physician Provider, Per Session

Showing 1–10 of 532

References

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.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.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.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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HCPCS Level II S9996: Meals for Clinical Trial Participant and Caregiver

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Billing Code Overview

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HCPCS Level II S9996: Meals for Clinical Trial Participant and Caregiver

Sign up for hcpcs S9996 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References