G0163 — Skilled services of a licensed nurse (lpn or rn) for the observation and assessment of the patient's condition, each 15 minutes (the change in the patient's condition requires skilled nursing personnel to identify and evaluate the patient's need for possible modification of treatment in the home health or hospice setting)
G0163 is a HCPCS Level II code for skilled services of a licensed nurse (lpn or rn) for the observation and assessment of the patient's condition, each 15 minutes (the change in the patient's condition requires skilled nursing personnel to identify and evaluate the patient's need for possible modification of treatment in the home health or hospice setting). It belongs to the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section. It was terminated on December 31, 2016 and is not valid on new claims.
This code has been terminated
CMS terminated G0163 on December 31, 2016. It stays in the file as history — a claim you are auditing from before that date may legitimately carry it — but it must not appear on a new claim. The adjacent codes below are the usual place to look for its replacement.
Medicare coverage: Carrier judgment
Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
The CMS record for G0163
- Long descriptor
- Skilled services of a licensed nurse (lpn or rn) for the observation and assessment of the patient's condition, each 15 minutes (the change in the patient's condition requires skilled nursing personnel to identify and evaluate the patient's need for possible modification of treatment in the home health or hospice setting)
- Short descriptor
- Hhc lpn/rn obs/asses ea 15
- Added
- January 1, 2011
- Terminated
- December 31, 2016
- BETOS
- Y2
- Pricing indicator
- 00 — Not priced by Part B
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
When CMS retired it.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Service not separately priced by Part B — not covered, bundled into another service, or used by Part A only.
Codes adjacent to G0163
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G0163 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G0155Services of clinical social worker in home health or hospice settings, each 15 minutes
- G0156Services of home health/hospice aide in home health or hospice settings, each 15 minutes
- G0157Services performed by a qualified physical therapist assistant in the home health or hospice setting, each 15 minutes
- G0158Services performed by a qualified occupational therapist assistant in the home health or hospice setting, each 15 minutes
- G0159Services performed by a qualified physical therapist, in the home health setting, in the establishment or delivery of a safe and effective physical therapy maintenance program, each 15 minutes
- G0160Services performed by a qualified occupational therapist, in the home health setting, in the establishment or delivery of a safe and effective occupational therapy maintenance program, each 15 minutes
- G0161Services performed by a qualified speech-language pathologist, in the home health setting, in the establishment or delivery of a safe and effective speech-language pathology maintenance program, each 15 minutes
- G0162Skilled services by a registered nurse (rn) for management and evaluation of the plan of care; each 15 minutes (the patient's underlying condition or complication requires an rn to ensure that essential non-skilled care achieves its purpose in the home health or hospice setting)
- G0164Skilled services of a licensed nurse (lpn or rn), in the training and/or education of a patient or family member, in the home health or hospice setting, each 15 minutesterminated
- G0166External counterpulsation, per treatment session
- G0168Wound closure utilizing tissue adhesive(s) only
- G0173Linear accelerator based stereotactic radiosurgery, complete course of therapy in one sessionterminated
- G0175Scheduled interdisciplinary team conference (minimum of three exclusive of patient care nursing staff) with patient present
- G0176Activity therapy, such as music, dance, art or play therapies not for recreation, related to the care and treatment of patient's disabling mental health problems, per session (45 minutes or more)
- G0177Training and educational services related to the care and treatment of patient's disabling mental health problems per session (45 minutes or more)
- G0179Physician or allowed practitioner re-certification for medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care (patient not present), including contacts with home health agency and review of reports of patient status required by physicians and allowed practitioners to affirm the initial implementation of the plan of care
Questions about G0163
What is HCPCS code G0163?
G0163 is a HCPCS Level II code for skilled services of a licensed nurse (lpn or rn) for the observation and assessment of the patient's condition, each 15 minutes (the change in the patient's condition requires skilled nursing personnel to identify and evaluate the patient's need for possible modification of treatment in the home health or hospice setting). It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G0163?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G0163 as "Carrier judgment". Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
Is G0163 still valid?
No. G0163 was terminated on December 31, 2016 and should not be used on new claims.