G8874 — Excised tissue not evaluated by imaging intraoperatively to confirm successful inclusion of targeted lesion
G8874 is a HCPCS Level II code for excised tissue not evaluated by imaging intraoperatively to confirm successful inclusion of targeted lesion. It belongs to the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section. It was terminated on December 31, 2020 and is not valid on new claims.
This code has been terminated
CMS terminated G8874 on December 31, 2020. It stays in the file as history — a claim you are auditing from before that date may legitimately carry it — but it must not appear on a new claim. The adjacent codes below are the usual place to look for its replacement.
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.
The CMS record for G8874
- Long descriptor
- Excised tissue not evaluated by imaging intraoperatively to confirm successful inclusion of targeted lesion
- Short descriptor
- Tissue not image intraop
- Added
- January 1, 2012
- Terminated
- December 31, 2020
- BETOS
- M5B
- Pricing indicator
- 00 — Not priced by Part B
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.
When CMS retired it.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Service not separately priced by Part B — not covered, bundled into another service, or used by Part A only.
Codes adjacent to G8874
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G8874 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G8866Documentation of patient reason(s) for not administering or previously receiving pneumococcal vaccine (e.g., patient refusal)
- G8867Pneumococcal vaccine not administered or previously received, reason not given
- G8868Patients receiving a first course of anti-tnf therapyterminated
- G8869Patient has documented immunity to hepatitis b and initiating anti-tnf therapy
- G8870Hepatitis b vaccine injection administered or previously received and is receiving a first course of anti-tnf therapyterminated
- G8871Patient not receiving a first course of anti-tnf therapyterminated
- G8872Excised tissue evaluated by imaging intraoperatively to confirm successful inclusion of targeted lesionterminated
- G8873Patients with needle localization specimens which are not amenable to intraoperative imaging such as mri needle wire localization, or targets which are tentatively identified on mammogram or ultrasound which do not contain a biopsy marker but which can be verified on intraoperative inspection or pathology (e.g., needle biopsy site where the biopsy marker is remote from the actual biopsy site)terminated
- G8875Clinician diagnosed breast cancer preoperatively by a minimally invasive biopsy method
- G8876Documentation of reason(s) for not performing minimally invasive biopsy to diagnose breast cancer preoperatively (e.g., lesion too close to skin, implant, chest wall, etc., lesion could not be adequately visualized for needle biopsy, patient condition prevents needle biopsy [weight, breast thickness, etc.], duct excision without imaging abnormality, prophylactic mastectomy, reduction mammoplasty, excisional biopsy performed by another physician)
- G8877Clinician did not attempt to achieve the diagnosis of breast cancer preoperatively by a minimally invasive biopsy method, reason not given
- G8878Sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure performed
- G8879Clinically node negative (t1n0m0 or t2n0m0) invasive breast cancerterminated
- G8880Documentation of reason(s) sentinel lymph node biopsy not performed (e.g., reasons could include but not limited to; non-invasive cancer, incidental discovery of breast cancer on prophylactic mastectomy, incidental discovery of breast cancer on reduction mammoplasty, pre-operative biopsy proven lymph node (ln) metastases, inflammatory carcinoma, stage 3 locally advanced cancer, recurrent invasive breast cancer, clinically node positive after neoadjuvant systemic therapy, patient refusal after informed consent, patient with significant age, comorbidities, or limited life expectancy and favorable tumor; adjuvant systemic therapy unlikely to change)
- G8881Stage of breast cancer is greater than t1n0m0 or t2n0m0
- G8882Sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure not performed, reason not given
Questions about G8874
What is HCPCS code G8874?
G8874 is a HCPCS Level II code for excised tissue not evaluated by imaging intraoperatively to confirm successful inclusion of targeted lesion. It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G8874?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G8874 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.
Is G8874 still valid?
No. G8874 was terminated on December 31, 2020 and should not be used on new claims.