HCPCS code G0124: Pap interpretation, physician-read thin-layer specimen2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports physician interpretation of screening cervical or vaginal cytology from a specimen collected in preservative fluid and prepared as an automated thin layer.
Medicare pays $22.45–$24.39 for G0124 in the office in Georgia, from Rest of Georgia to Atlanta, GA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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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What G0124 covers
G0124 represents physician interpretation of screening cytopathology from cervical or vaginal cells collected in preservative fluid and prepared as an automated thin layer. The specimen may come from a routine cervical screening collection; the code identifies the physician interpretation service, not the pelvic examination or specimen collection. Cytology laboratories and pathologists commonly handle this work, with the interpreting physician reviewing the prepared specimen and documenting the cytologic findings.
Select G0124 when the screening specimen follows this thin-layer workflow and physician interpretation is performed. The record should identify the cervical or vaginal specimen, its preservative-fluid preparation, and the physician’s interpretation or report. Distinguish it from G0123, which describes thin-layer cytology that is manually screened. CMS assigns work, practice expense, and malpractice relative value units to G0124.
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 G0124 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $24.39 | $24.39 |
| Rest of Georgia | $22.45 | $22.45 |
How the G0124 rate is calculated
Each of G0124’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 · G0124
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.25
0.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.46
0.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.7200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$24.05
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for G0124
G0124 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 · G0124
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
$24.05
- Non-facility (office)
- $24.05
- Facility
- $24.05
Higher because the practice carries its own overhead.
G0124 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- G0123Pap cytologyCytotechnologist-screened thin layer
- G0123 describes manual screening of thin-layer cervical or vaginal cytology; G0124 identifies physician interpretation of the specimen.
- G0141Cytology screeningAutomated screening, manual rescreening
- G0141 describes an automated screening workflow followed by manual rescreening. G0124 identifies physician interpretation of a thin-layer screening specimen.
- G0101Screening pelvic examPelvic and clinical breast exam
- G0101 reports a screening pelvic and breast examination. G0124 reports physician interpretation of cervical or vaginal cytology.
G0124 billing questions
How does G0124 differ from G0123?
Both concern cervical or vaginal screening cytology using an automated thin-layer preparation. G0124 identifies physician interpretation, while G0123 describes manual screening.
Does an abnormal result determine whether G0124 is appropriate?
Choose the code based on the service performed and specimen workflow, not simply whether the result is abnormal. Document the physician’s interpretation.
Is G0124 the code for collecting the Pap specimen?
No. It represents physician interpretation of the prepared cytology specimen, not specimen collection or a pelvic examination.
What documentation supports G0124?
The record should support a cervical or vaginal screening specimen collected in preservative fluid, automated thin-layer preparation, and physician interpretation with a documented report.
Can G0124 be used for automated screening with manual rescreening?
G0141 describes cervical or vaginal cytology screened by an automated system with manual rescreening. Select according to the documented screening workflow rather than treating the methods as interchangeable.
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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