CPT code 96165: Group intervention, each additional 30 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Report 96165 for each additional 30-minute segment of a health behavior intervention delivered face-to-face to a group of patients.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities36.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $5.01 for 96165 nationally in the office and $4.01 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $4.82–$6.93.

Medicare rate · 96165

Group intervention, each additional 30 minutes

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0.11
Total RVUs
0.15
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$5.01

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 96165 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 96165 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 96165 covers

A physician or other qualified health care professional uses this add-on service to address behavioral, emotional, social, or cognitive factors affecting patients’ physical health and treatment. In a group session, participants receive intervention directed toward health-related goals such as improving self-management or supporting adherence to a treatment plan. The service may be provided in an office or facility; the group format, rather than an individual or family session, distinguishes it from related intervention services.

Report 96165 only with the primary group intervention code 96164, for additional intervention time beyond the initial segment. Documentation should identify the health-related behavioral goals, the intervention provided, the group format, and the time supporting the additional segment. CMS classifies 96165 as an add-on code: it is billed only with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period. It is not a stand-alone report for a group session.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 96165 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$4.82 to $6.93

$4.82$5.88$6.93
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

96165 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$4.84$3.97
Alaska$6.93$5.87
Arizona$4.97$4.00
Arkansas$4.82$3.96
Atlanta, GA$5.04$4.02
Austin, TX$5.09$4.03
Bakersfield, CA$5.21$4.11
Baltimore area, MD$5.17$4.09
Beaumont, TX$4.89$3.98
Brazoria, TX$5.03$4.03

96165 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$4.82

$6.93

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
96165 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$6.931
AL$4.841
AR$4.821
AZ$4.971
CA$5.20–$6.0029
CO$5.141
CT$5.191
DC$5.451
DE$5.011
FL$4.95–$5.063
GA$4.87–$5.042
GU$5.191
HI$5.191
IA$4.901
ID$4.901
IL$4.89–$5.074
IN$4.911
KS$4.881
KY$4.861
LA$4.86–$4.932
MA$5.14–$5.422
MD$5.06–$5.453
ME$4.90–$5.002
MI$4.89–$4.962
MN$5.051
MO$4.83–$4.953
MS$4.821
MT$5.011
NC$4.921
ND$5.011
NE$4.911
NH$5.061
NJ$5.28–$5.462
NM$4.901
NV$5.011
NY$4.94–$5.505
OH$4.891
OK$4.871
OR$5.00–$5.222
PA$4.90–$5.132
PR$5.021
RI$5.121
SC$4.911
SD$5.011
TN$4.891
TX$4.89–$5.098
UT$4.931
VA$4.99–$5.452
VI$5.021
VT$5.001
WA$5.13–$5.502
WI$4.951
WV$4.841
WY$5.011

How the 96165 rate is calculated

Each of 96165’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 96165

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.11

0.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.04

0.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.1500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$5.01

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 96165

The CMS indicators that decide how 96165 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 96165

Group intervention, each additional 30 minutes

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

96165 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 96165

    Group intervention, each additional 30 minutes0.11 wRVU

    $5.01

  • 96164

    Group intervention, first 30 minutes0.24 wRVU

    $11.69+$6.68

  • 96159

    Health behavior intervention, individual, additional time0.57 wRVU

    $25.38+$20.37

  • 96168

    Family intervention, each additional 15 minutes0.63 wRVU

    $28.39+$23.38

How to choose

96164Group interventionFirst 30 minutes
96164 covers the initial group intervention segment; 96165 is reserved for additional time and must accompany 96164.
96159Health behavior interventionIndividual, additional time
96159 is for additional individual intervention time with one patient; 96165 is for additional time in a group session.
96168Family interventionEach additional 15 minutes
96168 covers additional time in a family intervention session, while 96165 applies to a group intervention session.

96165 billing questions

Can 96165 be reported by itself?

No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the primary group intervention code 96164.

How is 96165 different from 96164?

96164 reports the initial group intervention segment; 96165 reports each additional 30-minute segment.

When should the individual intervention codes be used instead?

Use 96158 and 96159 when the health behavior intervention is delivered to one patient rather than a group.

What should the note support?

Document the health-related behavioral goals, the intervention delivered, that it was a group session, and the time supporting the additional segment.

Can 96165 be used for a family intervention?

No. Family intervention services are reported with the family-session code family, such as 96167 and 96168, rather than the group codes.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 96165PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 12,770 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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