CPT code 99408: Alcohol/substance screening, 15–30 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports structured screening for alcohol or non-tobacco substance use with a brief intervention during a 15–30-minute service.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 99408 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 99408 covers
This service combines structured screening for alcohol or substance use other than tobacco with a brief intervention. A clinician may use a screening tool such as AUDIT or DAST, discuss the findings, and provide brief advice or guidance. The intervention may include feedback about results and advice to reduce use or seek additional care. It is reported when screening and intervention are provided in outpatient or primary care settings. The service is distinct from tobacco-cessation counseling, which addresses tobacco use specifically.
The code represents 15–30 minutes of screening and intervention. Medicare classifies it as not covered, with physician fee schedule status N, so Medicare does not cover it under this code. For a service lasting more than 30 minutes, 99409 is the duration-based sibling.
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 99408 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 99408 rate is calculated
Each of 99408’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 · 99408
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.65
0.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.04
0.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.0500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$35.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 99408
99408 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 99408
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
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99408 isn’t priced in this setting.
99408 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 99409Substance-use screeningOver 30 minutes
- Both codes cover structured screening and brief intervention for alcohol or non-tobacco substance use. Choose 99408 for 15–30 minutes and 99409 for more than 30 minutes.
- 99406Smoking cessationMore than 3 through 10 minutes
- 99406 is for tobacco-cessation counseling in its shorter time range. 99408 addresses alcohol or non-tobacco substance screening and intervention.
- 99407Smoking cessationMore than 10 minutes
- 99407 is for tobacco-cessation counseling in its longer time range. 99408 addresses alcohol or non-tobacco substance screening and intervention.
99408 billing questions
When should 99408 be chosen instead of 99409?
Use 99408 for a screening and brief intervention service lasting 15–30 minutes. Code 99409 is the longer-duration sibling for services exceeding 30 minutes.
Does this code cover tobacco-cessation counseling?
No. This service concerns alcohol or substances other than tobacco; tobacco-cessation counseling is represented by codes such as 99406 and 99407.
What should the record support?
Document the screening performed, findings discussed, brief intervention provided, and time devoted to the service.
Does Medicare cover 99408?
No. Medicare classifies 99408 as not covered, with physician fee schedule status N.
Can 99408 be reported for a service lasting less than 15 minutes?
The code represents a 15–30-minute service. A shorter service does not meet that time range.
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
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