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.
Billing guidance for G0444 is locked
- When to use it: the exact clinical situations that support billing G0444
- Documentation checklist: the 7 elements your note needs before submitting
- Common pitfalls: the 6 mistakes that get G0444 downcoded or denied
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.