G2196 HCPCS Level II code: Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method
G2196 is the HCPCS code for “Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method” in CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026.
Official description
G2196Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method
Short description: Screen unhlthy etoh use
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with G2196 in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Medicare pricing
- Service not separately priced by Part B (e.g., services not covered, bundled, used by Part A only, etc.)
- Type of service
- Medical care
- BETOS category
- Undefined codes
- Added
- Jan 1, 2021
Where G2196 sits
- 1G codesProcedures and professional services
- 2Active code G2196Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method
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 G2196 mean?
G2196 is the HCPCS code for “Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user when screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Does Medicare cover G2196?
CMS lists G2196’s Medicare coverage as “Carrier judgment” and its pricing as “Service not separately priced by Part B (e.g., services not covered, bundled, used by Part A only, etc.)”. 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 G2196
All G codesG2190Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: headache radiating to the neckG2191Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: positional headachesG2192Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: temporal headaches in patients over 55 years of ageG2193Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: new onset headache in pre-school children or younger (<6 years of age)G2194Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: new onset headache in pediatric patients with disabilities for which headache is a concern as inferred from behaviorG2195Patients with clinical indications for imaging of the head: occipital headache in childrenG2197Patient screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method and not identified as an unhealthy alcohol userG2198Documentation of medical reason(s) for not screening for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method (e.g., limited life expectancy, other medical reasons)G2199Patient not screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening methodG2200Patient identified as an unhealthy alcohol user received brief counselingG2201Documentation of medical reason(s) for not providing brief counseling (e.g., limited life expectancy, other medical reasons)G2202Patient did not receive brief counseling if identified as an unhealthy alcohol user