CQ HCPCS Level II modifier: Outpatient physical therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant
CQ is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Outpatient physical therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
CQOutpatient physical therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant
Short description: Outpatient pt service by pta
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with CQ in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 2019
Where CQ sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier CQOutpatient physical therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant
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 CQ mean?
CQ is the HCPCS code for “Outpatient physical therapy services furnished in whole or in part by a physical therapist assistant” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is CQ in the HCPCS Level II list?
CQ is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover CQ?
CMS lists CQ’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 CQ
All modifiersCKAt least 40 percent but less than 60 percent impaired, limited or restrictedCLAt least 60 percent but less than 80 percent impaired, limited or restrictedCMAt least 80 percent but less than 100 percent impaired, limited or restrictedCN100 percent impaired, limited or restrictedCOOutpatient occupational therapy services furnished in whole or in part by an occupational therapy assistantCPAdjunctive service related to a procedure assigned to a comprehensive ambulatory payment classification (c-apc) procedure, but reported on a different claimCRCatastrophe/disaster relatedCSCost-sharing waived for specified covid-19 testing-related services that result in and order for or administration of a covid-19 test and/or used for cost-sharing waived…CTComputed tomography services furnished using equipment that does not meet each of the attributes of the national electrical manufacturers association (nema) xr-29-2013 standardDAOral health assessment by a licensed health professional other than a dentistE1Upper left, eyelidE2Lower left, eyelid