Skip to main content

NCD Manual section 210: Prevention

Section 210 of the Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual (Pub. 100-03, chapter 1, part 4) holds 16 National Coverage Determinations on prevention. Each binds every Medicare Administrative Contractor; this page lists them with their effective dates, the local policies that cite them and the contractor articles that turn them into claim edits.

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: Medicare Coverage Database NCDs: API snapshot September 27, 2026 (effective September 20, 2026); Medicare Coverage Database billing and coding articles: MCD release October 8, 2026 (effective October 4, 2026). Next CMS release: weekly, every Thursday.

NCDs in the section
16
15 with a full reference page
Laboratory NCDs
0
Cited by local policies
7
34 LCD citations
With contractor articles
7
24 articles
Coverage analyses linked
21
Newest effective date
2026-06-08
NCD 210.3

Every NCD in section 210

Local policies counts the active LCDs that list the NCD as related; contractor articles counts the current Medicare Coverage Database articles that name it. NCDs with an indexed reference page are linked; the others are listed by number and title.

National Coverage Determinations in NCD Manual section 210, Prevention
NCDTitleBenefit categoryEffectiveLocal policiesContractor articles
210.1Prostate Cancer Screening TestsProstate Cancer Screening Tests2006-06-193—
210.2Screening Pap Smears and Pelvic Examinations for Early Detection of Cervical or Vaginal CancerScreening Pap Smear, Screening Pelvic Exam2006-06-19——
210.2.1Screening for Cervical Cancer with Human Papillomavirus (HPV)Additional Preventive Services2015-07-0944
210.3Colorectal Cancer Screening TestsColorectal Cancer Screening Tests2026-06-08113
210.4Smoking and Tobacco-Use Cessation Counseling - RETIREDClinical Social Worker Services, Incident to a physician's professional Service, Outpatient Hospital Services Incident to a Physician's Service, Physicians' Services, Qualified Psychologist Services, Rural Health Clinic Services2023-04-10——
210.4.1Counseling to Prevent Tobacco UseAdditional Preventive Services2017-09-26——
210.6Screening for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) InfectionAdditional Preventive Services2016-09-2844
210.7Screening for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) InfectionAdditional Preventive Services2015-04-1344
210.8Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol MisuseAdditional Preventive Services2011-10-14——
210.9Screening for Depression in AdultsAdditional Preventive Services2011-10-14—1
210.10Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and High-Intensity Behavioral Counseling (HIBC) to Prevent STIsAdditional Preventive Services2011-11-0844
210.11Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Cardiovascular DiseaseAdditional Preventive Services2011-11-08——
210.12Intensive Behavioral Therapy for ObesityAdditional Preventive Services2011-11-29——
210.13Screening for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in AdultsAdditional Preventive Services2014-06-0244
210.14Lung Cancer Screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT)Additional Preventive Services2022-02-10——
210.15Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) PreventionAdditional Preventive Services2024-09-30——

What the section covers and how to read it

The NCD Manual groups national policies by body system or service type, and the section number is the first part of every NCD number in it. Section 210 covers prevention. Most of its NCDs fall under the Additional Preventive Services (12), Clinical Social Worker Services, Incident to a physician's professional Service, Outpatient Hospital Services Incident to a Physician's Service, Physicians' Services, Qualified Psychologist Services, Rural Health Clinic Services (1), Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (1) benefit categories, which decide whether Medicare can pay for the item at all before the NCD's clinical criteria are applied. Effective dates in the section run from 2006-06-19 (NCD 210.1) to 2026-06-08 (NCD 210.3); A claim is judged against the version in force on the date of service, so the effective date and the revision history on each NCD page matter as much as the criteria.

Read an NCD in three layers. The item or service description says what the policy is about; the indications and limitations say when Medicare covers it, often with documentation, setting or frequency conditions; and the contractor articles say how the claim must be coded for the national criteria to be applied automatically. In this section 7 NCDs have such contractor articles, listed on each NCD page under "How MACs bill" with their covered ICD-10-CM codes. Where a contractor has also written a Local Coverage Determination that cites the NCD, the LCD adds local documentation and coding detail but cannot narrow or widen the national coverage.

Local policies and contractor articles

7 of the 16 NCDs in this section are cited by active Local Coverage Determinations, 34 citations in all; 7 have contractor billing articles (24 articles across the Medicare Administrative Contractors). To see what applies to a claim, open the NCD, then the local policy and article of the contractor that processes it: the LCD list carries every active local policy, the LCD lookup guide explains which contractor covers which state, and the code-and-diagnosis checker tests one procedure code and one ICD-10-CM code against every article that applies in a state. A denial under an NCD returns CARC 50 with remark N386.

The most searched NCD in this section is NCD 210.3 Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests, at about 90 US Google searches a month for its number.

Other sections of the NCD Manual

Chapter 1 of the manual is published in four parts on cms.gov; every section with a current NCD has its own page here.

Where QuickIntell fits in coverage checks

QuickAuth coordinates requirement checks, documentation, submission and status tracking for prior authorization with human review, so national and local coverage criteria are looked at before the service. QuickRCM picks up the claim and any coverage denial afterwards.

See QuickAuth for requirement checksSee QuickRCM for coverage denialsBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions

Which NCDs are in NCD Manual section 210?

Section 210, Prevention, holds 16 National Coverage Determinations in the current Medicare Coverage Database: 210.1 Prostate Cancer Screening Tests; 210.2 Screening Pap Smears and Pelvic Examinations for Early Detection of Cervical or Vaginal Cancer; 210.2.1 Screening for Cervical Cancer with Human Papillomavirus (HPV); 210.3 Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests; 210.4 Smoking and Tobacco-Use Cessation Counseling - RETIRED; 210.4.1 Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use; 210.6 Screening for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection; 210.7 Screening for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection; and 8 more listed on this page.

How are NCD numbers assigned?

An NCD number is its place in chapter 1 of the NCD Manual: the part before the dot is the section (210 here), and the rest orders the policies inside it. Section 210 is in part 4 of the chapter. The number stays with the policy when CMS revises it; each revision gets a new version and transmittal instead.

Do Medicare contractors add local rules to section 210 NCDs?

7 of the 16 NCDs are cited by at least one active Local Coverage Determination, and 7 have contractor articles that implement them in the Medicare Coverage Database. A local policy may add documentation and coding detail but may not contradict the national determination.

How current is this list?

It is rebuilt from the CMS Coverage API NCD records and the weekly Medicare Coverage Database article export. The most recent effective date in the section is 2026-06-08 (NCD 210.3).

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

NCD titles, dates and counts are compiled from the CMS Coverage API and the Medicare Coverage Database export as an operational reference. Coverage depends on the full policy text, the claim and the contractor; verify against the current NCD on cms.gov. Not legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.