Key facts for G0560
- Medicare payment
- $42.42
- PFS non-facility, national; facility $39.41
- Coverage code
- C
- carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
- Practitioner MUE
- 1
- MAI 3
- NCCI PTP pairs
- 0
- practitioner file
- LCDs and articles
- 4 / 2
- on the Medicare telehealth list
TL;DR
CMS describes HCPCS G0560, added in 2025, as "Safety planning interventions, each 20 minutes personally performed by the billing practitioner, including assisting the patient in the identification of the following personalized elements of a safety plan: recognizing warning signs of an impending suicidal or substance use-related crisis; employing internal coping strategies; utilizing social contacts and social settings as a means of distraction from suicidal thoughts or risky substance use; utilizing family members, significant others, caregivers, and/or friends to help resolve the crisis; contacting mental health or substance use disorder professionals or agencies; and making the environment safe". Under the 2026 physician fee schedule (October release) G0560 carries 1.09 work, 0.17 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs, which at $33.4009 per RVU pays $42.42 non-facility and $39.41 facility before the locality adjustment. Qualifying APM participants get $42.63 at $33.5675. Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). 4 active LCDs and 2 billing and coding articles list G0560 across 5 states plus DC and 2 territories: L33252 (Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation and Psychotherapy Services), L35022 (Bariatric Surgical Management of Morbid Obesity), A57130, A57520. It is on the CY2026 Medicare telehealth list (CMS action: Maintain). OPPS status indicator A: Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system. HCPCS record: BETOS M5D (specialist - other); pricing indicator 13; type of service 1 (medical care). Nearby codes: G0557, G0553, G0570, G0545.
G0560 descriptor and code status
The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes G0560 as “Safety planning interventions, each 20 minutes personally performed by the billing practitioner, including assisting the patient in the identification of the following personalized elements of a safety plan: recognizing warning signs of an impending suicidal or substance use-related crisis; employing internal coping strategies; utilizing social contacts and social settings as a means of distraction from suicidal thoughts or risky substance use; utilizing family members, significant others, caregivers, and/or friends to help resolve the crisis; contacting mental health or substance use disorder professionals or agencies; and making the environment safe”. It sits in the G section (procedures and professional services, temporary), listed with the other G codes.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Short descriptor | Safety plan interven |
| Added to HCPCS | 2025-01-01 |
| Last action | N (no maintenance), effective 2025-01-01 |
| Coverage code | C: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage |
| Pricing indicator | 13: physician fee schedule, priced by the contractor |
| BETOS category | M5D: specialist - other |
| Type of service | 1: medical care |
Medicare payment for G0560
Under the 2026 physician fee schedule (October release) G0560 carries 1.09 work, 0.17 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs, which at $33.4009 per RVU pays $42.42 non-facility and $39.41 facility before the locality adjustment. Qualifying APM participants get $42.63 at $33.5675. 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 A: active: paid separately under the physician fee schedule when covered. Global period XXX (global surgery concept does not apply); PC/TC indicator 0 (physician service; the professional/technical split does not apply).
| Component | Non-facility | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Work RVU | 1.09 | 1.09 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0.17 | 0.08 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Total RVUs | 1.27 | 1.18 |
| National payment (CF $33.4009) | $42.42 | $39.41 |
| Qualifying APM participant (CF $33.5675) | $42.63 | $39.61 |
- Multiple procedures (modifier 51): no multiple-procedure reduction
- Bilateral (modifier 50): 150% bilateral adjustment does not apply
- Assistant at surgery: assistant at surgery paid only with documentation; co-surgeons: co-surgeons not permitted; team surgery: team surgeons not permitted
- Physician supervision of diagnostic procedures: supervision concept does not apply
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 G0560
Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). The practitioner MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.
| Setting | MUE (units/DOS) | MAI | CMS rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practitioner services | 1 | 3 Date of Service Edit: Clinical | Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction |
| Facility outpatient hospital | 1 | 3 Date of Service Edit: Clinical | Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction |
The MUE lookup for G0560 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.
NCCI edits and add-on rules
No active practitioner PTP pair lists G0560 in v323r0.
G0560 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 G0560 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.
Medicare coverage policies for G0560
4 active Local Coverage Determinations and 2 billing and coding articles list G0560. Each applies only in its contractor's jurisdiction, and the article carries the diagnosis codes that support the item or service.
- LCD L33252: Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation and Psychotherapy Services · First Coast Service Options, Inc.
- Bariatric Surgical Management of Morbid Obesity, LCD L35022 · Novitas Solutions, Inc.
- Speech - Language Pathology (SLP) Services: Communication Disorders (L35070) · Novitas Solutions, Inc.
- LCD L35101: Psychiatric Codes · Novitas Solutions, Inc.
Telehealth status
G0560 is on the CY2026 Medicare telehealth services list (CMS action: Maintain). Bill it with the place-of-service code and modifiers that match where the patient and the practitioner are on the date of service.
Denials to expect on G0560
the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists G0560
the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code
the claim lacks the description, invoice or pricing detail a contractor-priced code needs
Where QuickIntell fits for G0560 claims
QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for G0560 before the claim leaves, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the denial follow-up when an edit or coverage policy is missed.
Frequently asked questions: HCPCS G0560
What does HCPCS code G0560 describe?
"Safety planning interventions, each 20 minutes personally performed by the billing practitioner, including assisting the patient in the identification of the following personalized elements of a safety plan: recognizing warning signs of an impending suicidal or substance use-related crisis; employing internal coping strategies; utilizing social contacts and social settings as a means of distraction from suicidal thoughts or risky substance use; utilizing family members, significant others, caregivers, and/or friends to help resolve the crisis; contacting mental health or substance use disorder professionals or agencies; and making the environment safe" (short descriptor "Safety plan interven"), in the G section (procedures and professional services, temporary). Added 2025-01-01.
Is G0560 a CPT code?
No. G0560 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set.
What does Medicare pay for G0560?
Under the 2026 physician fee schedule (October release) G0560 carries 1.09 work, 0.17 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs, which at $33.4009 per RVU pays $42.42 non-facility and $39.41 facility before the locality adjustment. Qualifying APM participants get $42.63 at $33.5675.
How many units of G0560 can be billed per day?
Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). 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 G0560?
Coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). 4 active LCDs and 2 billing and coding articles list G0560 across 5 states plus DC and 2 territories: L33252 (Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation and Psychotherapy Services), L35022 (Bariatric Surgical Management of Morbid Obesity), A57130, A57520.
Can G0560 be billed as telehealth?
Yes. G0560 is on the CY2026 Medicare telehealth list (Maintain); the place-of-service and modifier rules on the date of service still apply.
CMS guidance
The Medicare Learning Network publication that CMS issues on this topic, cited by ICN and publication date:
- Behavioral Health Integration Services(MLN909432, )Behavioral health integration and collaborative care: team members, consent and the billing codes.
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.
- HCPCS Level II alpha-numeric file, October 2026Version October 2026 · effective 2026-10-01 · file HCPC2026_OCT_ANWEB_09232026.txtSHA-256 c25240c63108756d…
- Medicare PFS national relative value file RVU26D (non-QPP), October 2026Version RVU26D, released 2026-08-26 · effective 2026-10-01 · file PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csvSHA-256 4d0d3f19bd954ffc…
- Medicare PFS national relative value file RVU26D (qualifying APM participants), October 2026Version RVU26D, released 2026-08-26 · effective 2026-10-01 · file PPRRVU2026_Oct_QPP.csvSHA-256 59d3734704853936…
- OPPS Addendum B, October 2026Version October 2026 · effective 2026-10-01 · file 508-compliant-version-2026_October_Web_Addendum_B.09.28.26.csvSHA-256 6ad7393a318bf1b9…
- Integrated Outpatient Code Editor v27.3 data tables: status and payment indicatorsVersion I/OCE v27.3 (October 2026) · effective 2026-10-01 · file Data_Status_Indicator.txtSHA-256 78f119ef0a435351…
- NCCI MUE table, practitioner services, effective 2026-10-01Version 2026 Q4 · effective 2026-10-01 · file MCR_MUE_PractitionerServices_Eff_10-01-2026.csvSHA-256 ef038efaf902b7bd…
- NCCI MUE table, facility services, effective 2026-10-01Version 2026 Q4 · effective 2026-10-01 · file MCR_MUE_OutpatientHospitalServices_Eff_10-01-2026.csvSHA-256 3af9f4e99cc587e2…
- NCCI MUE table, dme services, effective 2026-10-01Version 2026 Q4 · effective 2026-10-01 · file MCR_MUE_DMESupplierServices_Eff_10-01-2026.csvSHA-256 6fa4fbba852f7b74…
- NCCI PTP edits, practitioner, v323r0 (four files)Version v323r0 (2026 Q4) · effective 2026-10-01 · file ccipra-v323r0-f1.TXTSHA-256 7793c0b6686c1e22…
- List of Medicare telehealth services, calendar year 2026Version CY2026 PFS final rule list · effective 2026-01-01 · file CY 2026 PFS Final List of Medicare Telehealth Services.xlsxSHA-256 37a2639174aab141…
- Medicare Coverage Database, current Billing and Coding Articles exportVersion MCD release 2026-10-08 · effective 2026-10-04 · file article.csvSHA-256 5e95c4a8ac3664be…
- Medicare Coverage Database, current LCD exportVersion MCD release 2026-10-08 · effective 2026-10-04 · file lcd.csvSHA-256 9aee1bd7f14056b0…
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.