G0279 — Diagnostic digital breast tomosynthesis, unilateral or bilateral (list separately in addition to 77065 or 77066)
G0279 is a HCPCS Level II code for diagnostic digital breast tomosynthesis, unilateral or bilateral (list separately in addition to 77065 or 77066). It belongs to the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Carrier judgment
Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Physician fee schedule statusA
Active code. Paid separately under the physician fee schedule.
- Work RVU
- 0.59
- PE (non-facility)
- 0.59
- PE (facility)
- 0.59
- Malpractice RVU
- 0.03
Global period: ZZZ
Want the dollar amount for your locality? The fee calculator applies your GPCI and the current conversion factor.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of G0279 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
- outpatient
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for G0279
- Long descriptor
- Diagnostic digital breast tomosynthesis, unilateral or bilateral (list separately in addition to 77065 or 77066)
- Short descriptor
- Tomosynthesis, mammo
- Added
- January 1, 2015
- BETOS
- I1C
- Pricing indicator
- 13 — Physician fee schedule
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Price established by carriers — not otherwise classified, individual determination, or carrier discretion.
Codes adjacent to G0279
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G0279 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G0260Injection procedure for sacroiliac joint; provision of anesthetic, steroid and/or other therapeutic agent, with or without arthrography
- G0268Removal of impacted cerumen (one or both ears) by physician on same date of service as audiologic function testing
- G0269Placement of occlusive device into either a venous or arterial access site, post surgical or interventional procedure (e.g., angioseal plug, vascular plug)
- G0270Medical nutrition therapy; reassessment and subsequent intervention(s) following second referral in same year for change in diagnosis, medical condition or treatment regimen (including additional hours needed for renal disease), individual, face to face with the patient, each 15 minutes
- G0271Medical nutrition therapy, reassessment and subsequent intervention(s) following second referral in same year for change in diagnosis, medical condition, or treatment regimen (including additional hours needed for renal disease), group (2 or more individuals), each 30 minutes
- G0276Blinded procedure for lumbar stenosis, percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression (pild) or placebo-control, performed in an approved coverage with evidence development (ced) clinical trial
- G0277Hyperbaric oxygen under pressure, full body chamber, per 30 minute interval
- G0278Iliac and/or femoral artery angiography, non-selective, bilateral or ipsilateral to catheter insertion, performed at the same time as cardiac catheterization and/or coronary angiography, includes positioning or placement of the catheter in the distal aorta or ipsilateral femoral or iliac artery, injection of dye, production of permanent images, and radiologic supervision and interpretation (list separately in addition to primary procedure)
- G0281Electrical stimulation, (unattended), to one or more areas, for chronic stage iii and stage iv pressure ulcers, arterial ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and venous stasis ulcers not demonstrating measurable signs of healing after 30 days of conventional care, as part of a therapy plan of care
- G0282Electrical stimulation, (unattended), to one or more areas, for wound care other than described in g0281
- G0283Electrical stimulation (unattended), to one or more areas for indication(s) other than wound care, as part of a therapy plan of care
- G0288Reconstruction, computed tomographic angiography of aorta for surgical planning for vascular surgery
- G0289Arthroscopy, knee, surgical, for removal of loose body, foreign body, debridement/shaving of articular cartilage (chondroplasty) at the time of other surgical knee arthroscopy in a different compartment of the same knee
- G0293Noncovered surgical procedure(s) using conscious sedation, regional, general or spinal anesthesia in a medicare qualifying clinical trial, per day
- G0294Noncovered procedure(s) using either no anesthesia or local anesthesia only, in a medicare qualifying clinical trial, per day
- G0295Electromagnetic therapy, to one or more areas, for wound care other than described in g0329 or for other uses
Questions about G0279
What is HCPCS code G0279?
G0279 is a HCPCS Level II code for diagnostic digital breast tomosynthesis, unilateral or bilateral (list separately in addition to 77065 or 77066). It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G0279?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G0279 as "Carrier judgment". Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
How is G0279 paid under the physician fee schedule?
G0279 carries PFS status code A. Active code. Paid separately under the physician fee schedule.