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G0480 Drug test def 1-7 classes

What G0480 is

Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms (any type, single or tandem and excluding immunoassays (e.g., ia, eia, elisa, emit, fpia) and enzymatic methods (e.g., alcohol dehydrogenase)), (2) stable isotope or other universally recognized internal standards in all samples (e.g., to control for matrix effects, interferences and variations in signal strength), and (3) method or drug-specific calibration and matrix-matched quality control material (e.g., to control for instrument variations and mass spectral drift); qualitative or quantitative, all sources, includes specimen validity testing, per day; 1-7 drug class(es), including metabolite(s) if performed

HCPCS Level II long description, CMS October 2026 file. See the G codes page for the full section.

Medicare payment for G0480 (CY2026)

This code has no Physician Fee Schedule rate: Statutory exclusion - not payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. It may be paid under a different fee schedule (clinical laboratory, DMEPOS, anesthesia) or not paid at all - check the relevant CMS schedule.

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Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps G0480 at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 2 - date of service edit (absolute): units above the MUE never pay), rationale: Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with G0480? These codes are bundled into it

G0480 is a Column 1 code in 82 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
0119U1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0251U1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
80320Drug screen quantalcohols0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80321Alcohols biomarkers 1or 20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80322Alcohols biomarkers 3/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80323Alkaloids nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80324Drug screen amphetamines 1/20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80325Amphetamines 3or 40 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80326Amphetamines 5 or more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80327Anabolic steroid 1 or 20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80328Anabolic steroid 3 or more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80329Analgesics non-opioid 1 or 20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80330Analgesics non-opioid 3-50 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80331Analgesics non-opioid 6/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80332Antidepressants class 1 or 20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80333Antidepressants class 3-50 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80334Antidepressants class 6/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80335Antidepressant tricyclic 1/20 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80336Antidepressant tricyclic 3-50 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80337Tricyclic & cyclicals 6/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80338Antidepressant not specified0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80339Antiepileptics nos 1-30 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80340Antiepileptics nos 4-60 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80341Antiepileptics nos 7/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80342Antipsychotics nos 1-30 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80343Antipsychotics nos 4-60 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80344Antipsychotics nos 7/more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80345Drug screening barbiturates0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80346Benzodiazepines1-120 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
80347Benzodiazepines 13 or more0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair

Showing 30 of 82 column 2 codes. Use the pair checker for any specific combination.

G0480 is bundled into these codes

G0480 appears as a Column 2 code in 17 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, G0480 is the code that denies.

Column 1 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
0007U0Check pair
0011U0Check pair
0051U0Check pair
0054U0Check pair
0082U0Check pair
0093U0Check pair
0110U0Check pair
0116U0Check pair
0227U0Check pair
0328U0Check pair
0517U0Check pair
0518U1Check pair
0519U0Check pair
0520U0Check pair
G0481Drug test def 8-14 classes0Check pair

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.