QW HCPCS Level II modifier: Clia waived test
QW is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Clia waived test.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
QWClia waived test
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with QW in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 1996
Where QW sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier QWClia waived test
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 QW mean?
QW is the HCPCS code for “Clia waived test” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is QW in the HCPCS Level II list?
QW is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover QW?
CMS lists QW’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 QW
All modifiersQNAmbulance service furnished directly by a provider of servicesQPDocumentation is on file showing that the laboratory test(s) was ordered individually or ordered as a cpt-recognized panel other than automated profile codes 80002-80019, g0058…QQOrdering professional consulted a qualified clinical decision support mechanism for this service and the related data was provided to the furnishing professionalQRPrescribed amounts of stationary oxygen for daytime use while at rest and nighttime use differ and the average of the two amounts is greater than 4 liters per minute (lpm)QSMonitored anesthesia care serviceQTRecording and storage on tape by an analog tape recorderQXCrna service: with medical direction by a physicianQYMedical direction of one certified registered nurse anesthetist (crna) by an anesthesiologistQZCrna service: without medical direction by a physicianRAReplacement of a dme, orthotic or prosthetic itemRBReplacement of a part of a dme, orthotic or prosthetic item furnished as part of a repairRCRight coronary artery