Skip to main content
HCPCS G0144 · Level II · G code

G0144: Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), HCPCS Level II G code

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

Data currency: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); PFS relative value file: RVU26D, released August 26, 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule: 26CLABQ4 (CY2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; RVU27A with the CY2027 PFS final rule, effective January 1, 2027 for the PFS relative value file.

Key facts for G0144

Medicare payment
$43.97
CLFS national limitation amount
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Practitioner MUE
1
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI A
Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system
NCCI PTP pairs
16
16 hospital outpatient
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS G0144, added in 1999, as "Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation, with screening by automated system, under physician supervision". The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays G0144 $43.97 (national limitation amount). MUE limits for G0144: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration). In the NCCI PTP files v323r0 G0144 appears in 16 practitioner pairs as column 2 and 0 as column 1 (most often with 88141, 88142, 88143), and in 16 hospital outpatient pairs as column 2 and 0 as column 1. No current LCD or billing article lists G0144; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). OPPS status indicator A: Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system. HCPCS record: BETOS T1H (lab tests - other (non-Medicare fee schedule)); pricing indicator 21; type of service 5 (diagnostic laboratory). 4 other active codes open with "Screening cytopathology"; related codes: G0145, G0124, G0123, G0143.

G0144 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes G0144 as “Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation, with screening by automated system, under physician supervision”. It sits in the G section (procedures and professional services, temporary), listed with the other G codes.

HCPCS file attributes of G0144
FieldValue
Short descriptorScr c/v cyto,thinlayer,rescr
Added to HCPCS1999-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2003-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator21: clinical lab fee schedule, subject to the national limitation amount
BETOS categoryT1H: lab tests - other (non-Medicare fee schedule)
Type of service5: diagnostic laboratory

Medicare payment for G0144

The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays G0144 $43.97 (national limitation amount). The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

Physician fee schedule (RVU26D)

Status X: statutory exclusion: not a physician service under the fee schedule. Global period XXX (global surgery concept does not apply); PC/TC indicator 9 (professional/technical concept does not apply).

Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (26CLABQ4)

G0144 is paid at $43.97 (national limitation amount). Laboratory fee schedule payments carry no beneficiary coinsurance or deductible.

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator A (Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for G0144

MUE limits for G0144: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration). The practitioner MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for G0144 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalAnatomic Consideration
Facility outpatient hospital13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalAnatomic Consideration

The MUE lookup for G0144 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

In the practitioner PTP file v323r0, G0144 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 16 active pairs, 0% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 0; 2 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: Standards of medical/surgical practice.

Column-1 codes most often paired with G0144 (practitioner)
Column-1 codePairs
88141 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88142 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88143 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88147 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88148 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88150 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88152 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88153 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1

In the hospital outpatient PTP file v323r0, G0144 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 16 active pairs, 0% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 0; 2 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: Standards of medical/surgical practice.

Column-1 codes most often paired with G0144 (hospital outpatient)
Column-1 codePairs
88141 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88142 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88143 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88147 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88148 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88150 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88152 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
88153 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1

G0144 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check G0144 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for G0144

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists G0144. The HCPCS coverage code C means carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on G0144

CARC 50 · N115

the service is not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis on the claim

CARC 151 · N362

units of G0144 exceed the practitioner MUE of 1 per date of service

CARC 4

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

CARC 16

the claim lacks information needed to adjudicate the line, such as an order, NPI or required modifier

Where QuickIntell fits for G0144 claims

QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for G0144 before the claim leaves, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the denial follow-up when an edit or coverage policy is missed.

See QuickCode for coder reviewSee QuickRCM for denial follow-upBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS G0144

What does HCPCS code G0144 describe?

"Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation, with screening by automated system, under physician supervision" (short descriptor "Scr c/v cyto,thinlayer,rescr"), in the G section (procedures and professional services, temporary). Added 1999-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2003-01-01.

Is G0144 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains G0144 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. It goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for G0144?

The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays G0144 $43.97 (national limitation amount).

How many units of G0144 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for G0144: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Anatomic Consideration). For the practitioner MUE (MAI 3), units above 1 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover G0144?

No current LCD or billing article lists G0144; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage).

CMS guidance

The Medicare Learning Network publication that CMS issues on this topic, cited by ICN and publication date:

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

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is 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.