HCPCS Modifiers List

A modifier provides the means by which the reporting physician or provider can indicate that a service or procedure that has been performed has been altered by some specific circumstance but not changed in its definition or code.

Level I modifiers are codes and descriptors copyrighted by the American Medical Association's current procedural terminology (CPT).

Level II modifiers are codes and descriptors approved and maintained jointly by the alpha-numeric editorial panel (consisting of CMS, the Health Insurance Association of America, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association).

Modifiers may be used to indicate to the recipient of a report that:

A service or procedure has both a professional and technical component.
A service or procedure was performed by more than one physician and/or in more than one location.
A service or procedure has been increased or reduced.
Only part of a service was performed.
An adjunctive service was performed.
A bilateral procedure was performed.
A service or procedure was provided more than once.
Unusual events occurred.

Modifier	Description	Effective
NB	Nebulizer system, any type, fda-cleared for use with specific drug	Jan 01, 2011
NR	New when rented (use the 'nr' modifier when dme which was new at the time of rental is subsequently purchased)	Jan 01, 1997
NU	New equipment	Jan 01, 1997
P1	A normal healthy patient	Jan 01, 2006
P2	A patient with mild systemic disease	Jan 01, 2006
P3	A patient with severe systemic disease	Jan 01, 2006
P4	A patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life	Jan 01, 2006
P5	A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation	Jan 01, 2006
P6	A declared brain-dead patient whose organs are being removed for donor purposes	Jan 01, 2006
PA	Surgical or other invasive procedure on wrong body part	Jul 01, 2009
PB	Surgical or other invasive procedure on wrong patient	Jul 01, 2009
PC	Wrong surgery or other invasive procedure on patient	Jul 01, 2009
PD	Diagnostic or related non diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days	Jan 01, 2012
PI	Positron emission tomography (pet) or pet/computed tomography (ct) to inform the initial treatment strategy of tumors that are biopsy proven or strongly suspected of being cancerous based on other diagnostic testing	Jul 01, 2009
PL	Progressive addition lenses	Jan 01, 1997
PM	Post mortem	Jan 01, 2014
PN	Non-excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital	Jan 01, 2017
PO	Excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital	Jan 01, 2017
PS	Positron emission tomography (pet) or pet/computed tomography (ct) to inform the subsequent treatment strategy of cancerous tumors when the beneficiary's treating physician determines that the pet study is needed to inform subsequent anti-tumor strategy	Jul 01, 2009
PT	Colorectal cancer screening test; converted to diagnostic test or other procedure	Jan 01, 2011
Q0	Investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study	Jan 01, 2008
Q1	Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study	Jan 01, 2008
Q2	Demonstration procedure/service	Jan 01, 2017
Q3	Live kidney donor surgery and related services	Jan 01, 2003
Q4	Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption	Jan 01, 1997