G0018 HCPCS code: Psychotherapy for crisis furnished in an applicable site of service (any place of service at which the non-facility rate for psychotherapy for crisis services applies, other than the office setting); each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to code for primary service)
G0018 is the HCPCS Level II code for psychotherapy for crisis furnished in an applicable site of service (any place of service at which the non-facility rate for psychotherapy for crisis services applies, other than the office setting); each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to code for primary service). Its Medicare coverage code is C (Carrier judgment): Coverage is decided by the Medicare contractor (MAC) case by case. The NCCI unit limit is 4 per day on outpatient hospital claims.
Code details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Section | G codes — Procedures and professional services (temporary) |
| Coverage code | C — Carrier judgment |
| Pricing indicator | 13 |
| BETOS category | M5D |
| Added | 2024-01-01 |
| Last action effective | 2024-01-01 |
NCCI unit limits (MUE)
| Claim type | Max units per day | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| outpatient hospital claims | 4 | Nature of Service/Procedure |
| practitioner claims | 3 | Nature of Service/Procedure |
Medicare policy articles for this code
- A57130: Billing and Coding: Psychiatric Codes (Novitas Solutions, Inc. (MAC - Part A, MAC - Part B))
- A57480: Billing and Coding: Psychiatry and Psychology Services (WPS Insurance Corporation (MAC - Part A, MAC - Part B))
- A57520: Billing and Coding: Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation and Psychotherapy Services (First Coast Service Options, Inc. (MAC - Part A, MAC - Part B))
- A59723: Billing and Coding: Outpatient Psychotherapy (Palmetto GBA (MAC - Part A, MAC - Part B))
- A59723: Billing and Coding: Outpatient Psychotherapy (Palmetto GBA (MAC - Part A, MAC - Part B))
Covered diagnoses (1,815 ICD-10-CM codes)
The diagnoses most often listed as covered in the policy articles above:
| ICD-10-CM | Diagnosis | Articles listing it |
|---|---|---|
| F01.A0 | Vascular dementia, mild, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety | 4 |
| F01.A11 | Vascular dementia, mild, with agitation | 4 |
| F01.A18 | Vascular dementia, mild, with other behavioral disturbance | 4 |
| F01.A2 | Vascular dementia, mild, with psychotic disturbance | 4 |
| F01.A3 | Vascular dementia, mild, with mood disturbance | 4 |
| F01.A4 | Vascular dementia, mild, with anxiety | 4 |
| F01.B0 | Vascular dementia, moderate, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety | 4 |
| F01.B11 | Vascular dementia, moderate, with agitation | 4 |
| F01.B18 | Vascular dementia, moderate, with other behavioral disturbance | 4 |
| F01.B2 | Vascular dementia, moderate, with psychotic disturbance | 4 |
Showing 10 of 1,815. The full list, non-covered diagnoses and CSV export are in Caduvo.
What changed for G0018
- 2024-01-01: G0018 added to HCPCS Level II
- Next scheduled CMS quarterly update (HCPCS and DMEPOS fee schedule): 2027-01-01
Frequently asked questions
What is HCPCS code G0018?
G0018 is the HCPCS Level II code for psychotherapy for crisis furnished in an applicable site of service (any place of service at which the non-facility rate for psychotherapy for crisis services applies, other than the office setting); each additional 30 minutes (list separately in addition to code for primary service). Short descriptor: "Crisis psychotherapy add 30m".
Does Medicare cover G0018?
Coverage code C — Carrier judgment. Coverage is decided by the Medicare contractor (MAC) case by case.
Which diagnoses support coverage for G0018?
Medicare policy articles that cite G0018 list 1,815 covered ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes across 5 articles. The most cited include F01.A0 (Vascular dementia, mild, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety), F01.A11 (Vascular dementia, mild, with agitation), F01.A18 (Vascular dementia, mild, with other behavioral disturbance). A listed diagnosis is necessary but not sufficient; the policy's other criteria still apply.
How many units of G0018 can be billed per day?
4 on outpatient hospital claims; 3 on practitioner claims (NCCI medically unlikely edits).
Related G00 codes
- G0008 — Administration of influenza virus vaccine
- G0009 — Administration of pneumococcal vaccine
- G0010 — Administration of hepatitis b vaccine
- G0011 — Individual counseling for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prep) by physician or qualified health care professional (qhp) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), includes hiv risk assessment (initial or continued assessment of risk), hiv risk reduction and medication adherence, 15-30 minutes
- G0012 — Injection of pre-exposure prophylaxis (prep) drug for hiv prevention, under skin or into muscle
- G0013 — Individual counseling for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prep) by clinical staff to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), includes: hiv risk assessment (initial or continued assessment of risk), hiv risk reduction and medication adherence
- G0017 — Psychotherapy for crisis furnished in an applicable site of service (any place of service at which the non-facility rate for psychotherapy for crisis services applies, other than the office setting); first 60 minutes
- G0019 — Community health integration services performed by certified or trained auxiliary personnel, including a community health worker, under the direction of a physician or other practitioner; 60 minutes per calendar month, in the following activities to address social determinants of health (sdoh) need(s) that are significantly limiting the ability to diagnose or treat problem(s) addressed in an initiating visit: person-centered assessment, performed to better understand the individualized context of the intersection between the sdoh need(s) and the problem(s) addressed in the initiating visit. ++ conducting a person-centered assessment to understand patient's life story, strengths, needs, goals, preferences and desired outcomes, including understanding cultural and linguistic factors and including unmet sdoh needs (that are not separately billed). ++ facilitating patient-driven goal-setting and establishing an action plan. ++ providing tailored support to the patient as needed to accomplish the practitioner's treatment plan. practitioner, home-, and community-based care coordination. ++ coordinating receipt of needed services from healthcare practitioners, providers, and facilities; and from home- and community-based service providers, social service providers, and caregiver (if applicable). ++ communication with practitioners, home- and community-based service providers, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (or other health care facilities) regarding the patient's psychosocial strengths and needs, functional deficits, goals, preferences, and desired outcomes, including cultural and linguistic factors. ++ coordination of care transitions between and among health care practitioners and settings, including transitions involving referral to other clinicians; follow-up after an emergency department visit; or follow-up after discharges from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or other health care facilities. ++ facilitating access to community-based social services (e.g., housing, utilities, transportation, food assistance) to address the sdoh need(s). health education- helping the patient contextualize health education provided by the patient's treatment team with the patient's individual needs, goals, and preferences, in the context of the sdoh need(s), and educating the patient on how to best participate in medical decision-making. building patient self-advocacy skills, so that the patient can interact with members of the health care team and related community-based services addressing the sdoh need(s), in ways that are more likely to promote personalized and effective diagnosis or treatment. health care access / health system navigation. ++ helping the patient access healthcare, including identifying appropriate practitioners or providers for clinical care and helping secure appointments with them. facilitating behavioral change as necessary for meeting diagnosis and treatment goals, including promoting patient motivation to participate in care and reach person-centered diagnosis or treatment goals. facilitating and providing social and emotional support to help the patient cope with the problem(s) addressed in the initiating visit, the sdoh need(s), and adjust daily routines to better meet diagnosis and treatment goals. leveraging lived experience when applicable to provide support, mentorship, or inspiration to meet treatment goals
- G0022 — Community health integration services, each additional 30 minutes per calendar month (list separately in addition to g0019)
- G0023 — Principal illness navigation services by certified or trained auxiliary personnel under the direction of a physician or other practitioner, including a patient navigator; 60 minutes per calendar month, in the following activities: person-centered assessment, performed to better understand the individual context of the serious, high-risk condition. ++ conducting a person-centered assessment to understand the patient's life story, strengths, needs, goals, preferences, and desired outcomes, including understanding cultural and linguistic factors and including unmet sdoh needs (that are not separately billed). ++ facilitating patient-driven goal setting and establishing an action plan. ++ providing tailored support as needed to accomplish the practitioner's treatment plan. identifying or referring patient (and caregiver or family, if applicable) to appropriate supportive services. practitioner, home, and community-based care coordination. ++ coordinating receipt of needed services from healthcare practitioners, providers, and facilities; home- and community-based service providers; and caregiver (if applicable). ++ communication with practitioners, home-, and community-based service providers, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (or other health care facilities) regarding the patient's psychosocial strengths and needs, functional deficits, goals, preferences, and desired outcomes, including cultural and linguistic factors. ++ coordination of care transitions between and among health care practitioners and settings, including transitions involving referral to other clinicians; follow-up after an emergency department visit; or follow-up after discharges from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or other health care facilities. ++ facilitating access to community-based social services (e.g., housing, utilities, transportation, food assistance) as needed to address sdoh need(s). health education- helping the patient contextualize health education provided by the patient's treatment team with the patient's individual needs, goals, preferences, and sdoh need(s), and educating the patient (and caregiver if applicable) on how to best participate in medical decision-making. building patient self-advocacy skills, so that the patient can interact with members of the health care team and related community-based services (as needed), in ways that are more likely to promote personalized and effective treatment of their condition. health care access / health system navigation. ++ helping the patient access healthcare, including identifying appropriate practitioners or providers for clinical care, and helping secure appointments with them. ++ providing the patient with information/resources to consider participation in clinical trials or clinical research as applicable. facilitating behavioral change as necessary for meeting diagnosis and treatment goals, including promoting patient motivation to participate in care and reach person-centered diagnosis or treatment goals. facilitating and providing social and emotional support to help the patient cope with the condition, sdoh need(s), and adjust daily routines to better meet diagnosis and treatment goals. leverage knowledge of the serious, high-risk condition and/or lived experience when applicable to provide support, mentorship, or inspiration to meet treatment goals
- G0024 — Principal illness navigation services, additional 30 minutes per calendar month (list separately in addition to g0023)
- G0027 — Semen analysis; presence and/or motility of sperm excluding huhner
Building a device that would bill under a code like this? Caduvo matches a device description to HCPCS/CPT codes, Medicare coverage and payment, and the FDA pathway in one report.
Next steps
- Run a reimbursement report for a device billed under G0018
- Watch G0018 for fee, coverage and descriptor changes
- Build a full Medicare revenue model for G0018
Sources: CMS HCPCS Level II release October 2026; CMS DMEPOS fee schedule; CMS NCCI MUE tables; CMS Medicare utilization (physician and DME supplier files); CMS Medicare Coverage Database articles. Fees are Medicare allowables, not commercial rates. Not billing or legal advice.