G8797 — Specimen site other than anatomic location of esophagus
G8797 is a HCPCS Level II code for specimen site other than anatomic location of esophagus. It belongs to the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
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.
Physician fee schedule statusM
Measurement code. Used for reporting purposes only; never paid.
Global period: XXX
Want the dollar amount for your locality? The fee calculator applies your GPCI and the current conversion factor.
The CMS record for G8797
- Long descriptor
- Specimen site other than anatomic location of esophagus
- Short descriptor
- Specimen site not esophagus
- Added
- January 1, 2012
- BETOS
- M5B
- 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.
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 G8797
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G8797 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G8778Documentation of medical reason(s) for not performing diabetes screening test (e.g., patients with a diagnosis of diabetes, or with palliative goals or for whom treatment of hypertension with standard treatment goals is not clinically appropriate)terminated
- G8779Diabetes screening test not performed, reason not giventerminated
- G8780Counseling for diet and physical activity performedterminated
- G8781Documentation of medical reason(s) for patient not receiving counseling for diet and physical activity (e.g., patients with palliative goals or for whom treatment of hypertension with standard treatment goals is not clinically appropriate)terminated
- G8782Counseling for diet and physical activity not performed, reason not giventerminated
- G8783Normal blood pressure reading documented, follow-up not required
- G8784Patient not eligible (e.g., documentation the patient is not eligible due to active diagnosis of hypertension, patient refuses, urgent or emergent situation)terminated
- G8785Blood pressure reading not documented, reason not given
- G8798Specimen site other than anatomic location of prostate
- G8806Performance of trans-abdominal or trans-vaginal ultrasound and pregnancy location documented
- G8807Trans-abdominal or trans-vaginal ultrasound not performed for reasons documented by clinician (e.g., patient has a documented intrauterine pregnancy [iup])
- G8808Trans-abdominal or trans-vaginal ultrasound not performed, reason not given
- G8809Rh-immunoglobulin (rhogam) orderedterminated
- G8810Rh-immunoglobulin (rhogam) not ordered for reasons documented by clinician (e.g., patient had prior documented receipt of rhogam within 12 weeks, patient refusal)terminated
- G8811Documentation rh-immunoglobulin (rhogam) was not ordered, reason not giventerminated
- G8815Documented reason in the medical records for why the statin therapy was not prescribed (i.e., lower extremity bypass was for a patient with non-artherosclerotic disease)
Questions about G8797
What is HCPCS code G8797?
G8797 is a HCPCS Level II code for specimen site other than anatomic location of esophagus. It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G8797?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G8797 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.
How is G8797 paid under the physician fee schedule?
G8797 carries PFS status code M. Measurement code. Used for reporting purposes only; never paid.