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HCPCS Q0111 · Level II · Q code

Q0111: Wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical or skin specimens, HCPCS Level II Q 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 Q0111

Medicare payment
$18.54
CLFS national limitation amount
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Practitioner MUE
2
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI A
Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

HCPCS Level II Q0111 reads "Wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical or skin specimens" in the October 2026 file; it dates from 1994. The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays Q0111 $18.54 (national limitation amount). Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). No current LCD or billing article lists Q0111; 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). Nearby codes: Q0112, Q0092, Q0091, Q0163.

Q0111 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes Q0111 as “Wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical or skin specimens”. It sits in the Q section (temporary codes), listed with the other Q codes for services and supplies (non-drug). Although searches often call it the "Q0111 CPT code", Q0111 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.

HCPCS file attributes of Q0111
FieldValue
Short descriptorWet mounts/ w preparations
Added to HCPCS1994-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2020-01-01
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 Q0111

The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays Q0111 $18.54 (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)

Q0111 is paid at $18.54 (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 Q0111

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). 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 Q0111 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for Q0111 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists Q0111 in v323r0.

Q0111 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 Q0111 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for Q0111

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists Q0111. 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 Q0111

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of Q0111 exceed the practitioner MUE of 2 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 Q0111 claims

QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for Q0111 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 Q0111

What does HCPCS code Q0111 describe?

"Wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical or skin specimens" (short descriptor "Wet mounts/ w preparations"), in the Q section (temporary codes). Added 1994-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2020-01-01.

Is Q0111 a CPT code?

No. Q0111 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set. Searches for "Q0111 CPT code" mean this Level II code.

What does Medicare pay for Q0111?

The 2026 Q4 clinical laboratory fee schedule pays Q0111 $18.54 (national limitation amount).

How many units of Q0111 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). For the practitioner MUE (MAI 3), units above 2 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover Q0111?

No current LCD or billing article lists Q0111; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage).

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.