G8856 HCPCS Level II code: Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation performed
G8856 is the HCPCS code for “Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation performed” in CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026.
Official description
G8856Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation performed
Short description: Ref for oto eval
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with G8856 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
- Specialist - psychiatry
- Added
- Jan 1, 2012
Where G8856 sits
- 1G codesProcedures and professional services
- 2Active code G8856Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation performed
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 G8856 mean?
G8856 is the HCPCS code for “Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation performed” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Does Medicare cover G8856?
CMS lists G8856’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 G8856
All G codesG8850Positive airway pressure therapy not prescribed, reason not givenG8851Adherence to therapy was assessed at least annually through an objective informatics system or through self-reporting (if objective reporting is not available, documented)G8852Positive airway pressure therapy was prescribedG8853Positive airway pressure therapy not prescribedG8854Documentation of reason(s) for not objectively reporting adherence to evidence-based therapy (e.g., patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal or advanced disease with an…G8855Adherence to therapy was not assessed at least annually through an objective informatics system or through self-reporting (if objective reporting is not available), reason not…G8857Patient is not eligible for the referral for otologic evaluation measure (e.g., patients who are already under the care of a physician for acute or chronic dizziness)G8858Referral to a physician for an otologic evaluation not performed, reason not givenG8859Patient receiving corticosteroids greater than or equal to 10mg/day for 60 or greater consecutive daysG8860Patients who have received dose of corticosteroids greater than or equal to 10mg/day for 60 or greater consecutive daysG8861Within the past 2 years, central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (dxa) ordered and documented, review of systems and medication history or pharmacologic therapy (other than…G8862Patients not receiving corticosteroids greater than or equal to 10mg/day for 60 or greater consecutive days