G9308 — Unplanned return to the operating room for a surgical procedure, for complications of the principal operative procedure, within 30 days of the principal operative procedure
G9308 is a HCPCS Level II code for unplanned return to the operating room for a surgical procedure, for complications of the principal operative procedure, within 30 days of the principal operative procedure. 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 G9308
- Long descriptor
- Unplanned return to the operating room for a surgical procedure, for complications of the principal operative procedure, within 30 days of the principal operative procedure
- Short descriptor
- Unpl ret or w/compl w/in 30d
- Added
- January 1, 2014
- 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 G9308
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G9308 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G9300Documentation of medical reason(s) for not completely infusing the prophylactic antibiotic prior to the inflation of the proximal tourniquet (e.g., a tourniquet was not used)terminated
- G9301Patients who had the prophylactic antibiotic completely infused prior to the inflation of the proximal tourniquetterminated
- G9302Prophylactic antibiotic not completely infused prior to the inflation of the proximal tourniquet, reason not giventerminated
- G9303Operative report does not identify the prosthetic implant specifications including the prosthetic implant manufacturer, the brand name of the prosthetic implant and the size of each prosthetic implant, reason not giventerminated
- G9304Operative report identifies the prosthetic implant specifications including the prosthetic implant manufacturer, the brand name of the prosthetic implant and the size of each prosthetic implantterminated
- G9305Intervention for presence of leak of endoluminal contents through an anastomosis not required
- G9306Intervention for presence of leak of endoluminal contents through an anastomosis required
- G9307No return to the operating room for a surgical procedure, for complications of the principal operative procedure, within 30 days of the principal operative procedure
- G9309No unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of principal procedure
- G9310Unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of principal procedure
- G9311No surgical site infection
- G9312Surgical site infection
- G9313Amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, not prescribed as first line antibiotic at the time of diagnosis for documented reason
- G9314Amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, not prescribed as first line antibiotic at the time of diagnosis, reason not given
- G9315Amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, prescribed as a first line antibiotic at the time of diagnosis
- G9316Documentation of patient-specific risk assessment with a risk calculator based on multi-institutional clinical data, the specific risk calculator used, and communication of risk assessment from risk calculator with the patient or family
Questions about G9308
What is HCPCS code G9308?
G9308 is a HCPCS Level II code for unplanned return to the operating room for a surgical procedure, for complications of the principal operative procedure, within 30 days of the principal operative procedure. It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G9308?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G9308 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 G9308 paid under the physician fee schedule?
G9308 carries PFS status code M. Measurement code. Used for reporting purposes only; never paid.