Q4 HCPCS Level II modifier: Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption
Q4 is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
Q4Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption
Short description: Svc exempt - ordrg/rfrng md
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with Q4 in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 1994
Where Q4 sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier Q4Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption
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 Q4 mean?
Q4 is the HCPCS code for “Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemption” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is Q4 in the HCPCS Level II list?
Q4 is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover Q4?
CMS lists Q4’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 Q4
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