G0444
Depression screen annual
Annual depression screening using a validated tool, 5 to 15 minutes. CMS 2026 wRVU 0.18. Once per 12 months per beneficiary; covered with no cost share when billed at an AWV or as a preventive service.
When to use it
G0444 is the Medicare preventive code for annual depression screening using a validated instrument. Most commonly billed at the AWV (G0438 or G0439) but can stand alone at a problem-oriented visit (append modifier 33 on G0444 to keep it at the preventive rate).
Full guidance
Validated tools recognized for billing: PHQ-2 (2-item screen), PHQ-9 (standard 9-item severity scale), Geriatric Depression Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory. The most common primary-care workflow is PHQ-2 as the initial screen, followed by PHQ-9 for severity when the PHQ-2 is positive. The score must be documented numerically; a generic statement like "depression screen negative" without a number will fail audit. Annual frequency only: once per 365 days per beneficiary. Use ICD-10 Z13.31 (general adult depression screening) or Z13.32 (maternal depression screening) on the claim.
Documentation checklist
- ✓Name of the validated screening tool used (PHQ-2, PHQ-9, GDS, Edinburgh, Beck).
- ✓Numeric score or rating, documented in the chart on the date of service. "PHQ-9: 4" satisfies; "depression screen negative" alone does not.
- ✓Action taken if positive: documentation of brief intervention, referral to behavioral health, initiation of treatment, or scheduling of follow-up.
- ✓Time spent: 5 to 15 minutes, documented separately from any E/M time on the same date.
- ✓Z code on the claim: Z13.31 for general adult depression screening or Z13.32 for maternal depression screening.
- ✓If billed on the same day as an AWV (G0438 or G0439), G0444 is reported alongside the AWV with no modifier required.
- ✓If billed on the same day as a problem-oriented E/M, append modifier 33 to G0444 if you want preventive-rate billing; without modifier 33 the screen still bills but may be subject to a cost share.
Common pitfalls
- !Billing more than once per 12 months. The Medicare frequency cutoff is 365 days, not a calendar year. Mid-year repeat screens deny.
- !Documenting "PHQ-9 negative" without a numeric score. The score must be in the chart for audit defense. EHR templates that auto-populate "negative" without scoring will fail audit.
- !Using a non-validated tool. Internally-built questionnaires or single-question screens do not satisfy the Medicare definition. Stick to PHQ-2, PHQ-9, GDS, Edinburgh, or Beck.
- !Billing G0444 for a previously-diagnosed depression patient as a screen. The code is for screening, not severity monitoring; for an established F32 or F33 patient, the PHQ-9 score is documented inside the E/M, not as a separate G0444.
- !Forgetting modifier 33 on a same-day problem-oriented visit. Without modifier 33, the screen may be subject to a copay.
- !Pairing with G0438 or G0439 and then double-counting the time. The AWV's depression-screen element is satisfied by the same tool, but G0444 must reflect time over and above the AWV's structural elements.
Payer notes
Medicare covers G0444 once per 12 months with no cost share when billed preventively (with an AWV or modifier 33). Medicare Advantage plans typically follow Medicare rules. Commercial payers vary: most accept G0444, but some use 96127 (brief emotional or behavioral assessment) for the same workflow. Check payer-specific preventive screen codes. A negative screen does not eliminate billable diagnostic codes if depression is suspected on clinical grounds; in that case use a problem-oriented E/M with the appropriate F-code rather than G0444.