G9851 — Patient had one or less emergency department visits in the last 30 days of life
G9851 is a HCPCS Level II code for patient had one or less emergency department visits in the last 30 days of life. It belongs to the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section. It was terminated on December 31, 2020 and is not valid on new claims.
This code has been terminated
CMS terminated G9851 on December 31, 2020. 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 G9851
- Long descriptor
- Patient had one or less emergency department visits in the last 30 days of life
- Short descriptor
- 1/no ed visit last 30d life
- Added
- January 1, 2017
- Terminated
- December 31, 2020
- BETOS
- Z2
- 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 G9851
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If G9851 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- G9843Ras (kras or nras) gene mutation
- G9844Patient did not receive anti-egfr monoclonal antibody therapy
- G9845Patient received anti-egfr monoclonal antibody therapy
- G9846Patients who died from cancer
- G9847Patient received systemic cancer-directed therapy in the last 14 days of life
- G9848Patient did not receive systemic cancer-directed therapy in the last 14 days of life
- G9849Patients who died from cancerterminated
- G9850Patient had more than one emergency department visit in the last 30 days of lifeterminated
- G9852Patients who died from cancerterminated
- G9853Patient admitted to the icu in the last 30 days of lifeterminated
- G9854Patient was not admitted to the icu in the last 30 days of lifeterminated
- G9855Patients who died from cancerterminated
- G9856Patient was not admitted to hospiceterminated
- G9857Patient admitted to hospiceterminated
- G9858Patient enrolled in hospice
- G9859Patients who died from cancer
Questions about G9851
What is HCPCS code G9851?
G9851 is a HCPCS Level II code for patient had one or less emergency department visits in the last 30 days of life. It sits in the Procedures and Professional Services (Temporary) section.
Does Medicare cover G9851?
The CMS HCPCS file marks G9851 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 G9851 still valid?
No. G9851 was terminated on December 31, 2020 and should not be used on new claims.