BO HCPCS Level II modifier: Orally administered nutrition, not by feeding tube
BO is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Orally administered nutrition, not by feeding tube.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
BOOrally administered nutrition, not by feeding tube
Short description: Nutrition oral admin no tube
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with BO in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 2003
Where BO sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier BOOrally administered nutrition, not by feeding tube
Source and release
- Data release
- HCPCS Level II · October 2026
- Effective date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CMS
This page is built from the HCPCS Level II catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s October 2026 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCPCS code BO mean?
BO is the HCPCS code for “Orally administered nutrition, not by feeding tube” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is BO in the HCPCS Level II list?
BO is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover BO?
CMS lists BO’s Medicare coverage as “Carrier judgment”. Coverage and payment still depend on the patient, the setting, the documentation and the payer.
Which HCPCS Level II release does this page use?
It uses CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside BO
All modifiersAWItem furnished in conjunction with a surgical dressingAXItem furnished in conjunction with dialysis servicesAYItem or service furnished to an esrd patient that is not for the treatment of esrdAZPhysician providing a service in a dental health professional shortage area for the purpose of an electronic health record incentive paymentBAItem furnished in conjunction with parenteral enteral nutrition (pen) servicesBLSpecial acquisition of blood and blood productsBPThe beneficiary has been informed of the purchase and rental options and has elected to purchase the itemBRThe beneficiary has been informed of the purchase and rental options and has elected to rent the itemBUThe beneficiary has been informed of the purchase and rental options and after 30 days has not informed the supplier of his/her decisionCAProcedure payable only in the inpatient setting when performed emergently on an outpatient who expires prior to admissionCBService ordered by a renal dialysis facility (rdf) physician as part of the esrd beneficiary's dialysis benefit, is not part of the composite rate, and is separately reimbursableCCProcedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed)