Key facts for P3001
- Medicare payment
- $24.05
- PFS non-facility, national; facility $24.05
- Coverage code
- D
- special coverage instructions apply
- Practitioner MUE
- 1
- MAI 3
- NCCI PTP pairs
- 109
- 101 hospital outpatient
- LCDs and articles
- 0 / 0
TL;DR
P3001 is a Level II code from the P section (pathology and laboratory services), in use since 1992: "Screening papanicolaou smear, cervical or vaginal, up to three smears, requiring interpretation by physician". National PFS payment for P3001 is $24.05 in an office and $24.05 in a facility (October 2026), built from 0.25 work, 0.46 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs at $33.4009 per RVU. Qualifying APM participants get $24.17 at $33.5675. CMS caps P3001 at practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. In the NCCI PTP files v323r0 P3001 appears in 2 practitioner pairs as column 2 and 107 as column 1 (most often with G0124, G0337), and in 2 hospital outpatient pairs as column 2 and 99 as column 1. No current LCD or billing article lists P3001; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply). OPPS status indicator B: Non-allowed item or service for OPPS. HCPCS record: BETOS T1G (lab tests - other (Medicare fee schedule)); pricing indicator 11/21; type of service 5 (diagnostic laboratory). 1 other active code opens with "Screening papanicolaou smear"; related codes: P3000, P2038, P2033, P2029.
P3001 descriptor and code status
The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes P3001 as “Screening papanicolaou smear, cervical or vaginal, up to three smears, requiring interpretation by physician”. It sits in the P section (pathology and laboratory services), listed with the other P codes. Although searches often call it the "P3001 CPT code", P3001 is a HCPCS Level II code maintained by CMS, not an AMA CPT code; both go in the same procedure-code field on the claim.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Short descriptor | Screening pap smear by phys |
| Added to HCPCS | 1992-01-01 |
| Last action | N (no maintenance), effective 2002-01-01 |
| Coverage code | D: special coverage instructions apply |
| Pricing indicator | 11: physician fee schedule, priced with national RVUs; 21: clinical lab fee schedule, subject to the national limitation amount |
| BETOS category | T1G: lab tests - other (Medicare fee schedule) |
| Type of service | 5: diagnostic laboratory |
Medicare payment for P3001
National PFS payment for P3001 is $24.05 in an office and $24.05 in a facility (October 2026), built from 0.25 work, 0.46 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs at $33.4009 per RVU. Qualifying APM participants get $24.17 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 | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0.46 | 0.46 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Total RVUs | 0.72 | 0.72 |
| National payment (CF $33.4009) | $24.05 | $24.05 |
| Qualifying APM participant (CF $33.5675) | $24.17 | $24.17 |
- 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 B (Non-allowed item or service for OPPS), with no separate OPPS payment rate.
Medically Unlikely Edits for P3001
CMS caps P3001 at practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. 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 P3001 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.
NCCI edits and add-on rules
In the practitioner PTP file v323r0, P3001 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 2 active pairs, 0% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 107 (80% modifier-allowed); 250 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: Standards of medical/surgical practice.
| Column-2 code | Pairs |
|---|---|
| 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, P3001 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 2 active pairs, 0% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 99 (79% modifier-allowed); 116 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: Standards of medical/surgical practice.
| Column-2 code | Pairs |
|---|---|
| 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 |
P3001 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 P3001 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.
Medicare coverage policies for P3001
No current LCD or billing and coding article lists P3001. The HCPCS coverage code D means special coverage instructions apply, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.
Denials to expect on P3001
the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code
the claim lacks information needed to adjudicate the line, such as an order, NPI or required modifier
Where QuickIntell fits for P3001 claims
QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for P3001 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 P3001
What does HCPCS code P3001 describe?
"Screening papanicolaou smear, cervical or vaginal, up to three smears, requiring interpretation by physician" (short descriptor "Screening pap smear by phys"), in the P section (pathology and laboratory services). Added 1992-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2002-01-01.
Is P3001 a CPT code?
It is not. P3001 belongs to the P section (pathology and laboratory services) of HCPCS Level II, the CMS code set, not to AMA CPT. "P3001 CPT code" searches refer to it.
What does Medicare pay for P3001?
National PFS payment for P3001 is $24.05 in an office and $24.05 in a facility (October 2026), built from 0.25 work, 0.46 practice-expense and 0.01 malpractice RVUs at $33.4009 per RVU. Qualifying APM participants get $24.17 at $33.5675.
How many units of P3001 can be billed per day?
CMS caps P3001 at practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. 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 P3001?
No current LCD or billing article lists P3001; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply).
CMS guidance
The Medicare Learning Network publication that CMS issues on this topic, cited by ICN and publication date:
- Screening Pap Tests & Pelvic Exams(MLN909032, )Screening Pap tests and pelvic exams: who qualifies, how often 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…
- NCCI PTP edits, hospital outpatient, v323r0 (four files)Version v323r0 (2026 Q4) · effective 2026-10-01 · file ccioph-v323r0-f1.txtSHA-256 063f41b91ef9faa2…
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.