G9518 — Documentation of active injection drug use
G9518 is a HCPCS Level II code for documentation of active injection drug use. 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 statusM
Measurement code. Used for reporting purposes only; never paid.
Global period: XXX
Want the dollar amount for your locality? The fee calculator applies your GPCI and the current conversion factor.
The CMS record for G9518
- Long descriptor
- Documentation of active injection drug use
- Short descriptor
- Doc active inj drug use
- Added
- January 1, 2016
- BETOS
- Z2
- 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.
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 G9518
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G9518 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G9510Adult patients 18 years of age or older with major depression or dysthymia who did not reach remission at twelve months as demonstrated by a twelve month (+/-60 days) phq-9 or phq-9m score of less than 5. either phq- 9 or phq-9m score was not assessed or is greater than or equal to 5
- G9511Index event date phq-9 or phq-9m score greater than 9 documented during the twelve month denominator identification period
- G9512Individual had a pdc of 0.8 or greater
- G9513Individual did not have a pdc of 0.8 or greater
- G9514Patient required a return to the operating room within 90 days of surgery
- G9515Patient did not require a return to the operating room within 90 days of surgery
- G9516Patient achieved an improvement in visual acuity, from their preoperative level, within 90 days of surgery
- G9517Patient did not achieve an improvement in visual acuity, from their preoperative level, within 90 days of surgery, reason not given
- G9519Patient achieves final refraction (spherical equivalent) +/- 1.0 diopters of their planned refraction within 90 days of surgery
- G9520Patient does not achieve final refraction (spherical equivalent) +/- 1.0 diopters of their planned refraction within 90 days of surgery
- G9521Total number of emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations less than two in the past 12 months
- G9522Total number of emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations equal to or greater than two in the past 12 months or patient not screened, reason not given
- G9523Patient discontinued from hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysisterminated
- G9524Patient was referred to hospice careterminated
- G9525Documentation of patient reason(s) for not referring to hospice care (e.g., patient declined, other patient reasons)terminated
- G9526Patient was not referred to hospice care, reason not giventerminated
Questions about G9518
What is HCPCS code G9518?
G9518 is a HCPCS Level II code for documentation of active injection drug use. It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G9518?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G9518 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 G9518 paid under the physician fee schedule?
G9518 carries PFS status code M. Measurement code. Used for reporting purposes only; never paid.