HCPCS G0018: Crisis psychotherapyMedicare rate & RVUs
G0018 reports additional time spent providing crisis psychotherapy after the initial service, when the acute crisis requires treatment beyond the first 60 minutes.
Medicare pays $105.21 for G0018 nationally in the office and $83.17 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $100.63–$144.23.
Medicare rate · G0018
Crisis psychotherapy
- Work RVUs
- 2.25
- Total RVUs
- 3.15
- Global days
- ZZZ
National rate · 2026
$105.21
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for G0018 →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.
On this page 10 sections
What G0018 covers
G0018 represents added crisis-focused psychotherapy after the initial 60 minutes of crisis treatment. A psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or other qualified behavioral health professional may use this time to continue urgent assessment and psychotherapeutic intervention for a patient in acute emotional or behavioral distress. The work may include reassessing the crisis, addressing immediate safety concerns, and helping the patient mobilize supports or resources. This is crisis intervention, not simply an extended routine psychotherapy session.
Report G0018 only with the primary crisis psychotherapy service, G0017, when the documented service extends beyond the initial 60 minutes. The record should support the crisis context, the interventions delivered, and the additional time. CMS classifies G0018 as an add-on: it is billed with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period. It is not a stand-alone service. Select the code based on the crisis service and time provided, rather than the patient’s diagnosis alone.
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 G0018 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
$100.63 to $144.23
109 of 109 payment localities
G0018 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$100.63
$144.23
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $144.23 | 1 |
| AL | $101.15 | 1 |
| AR | $100.63 | 1 |
| AZ | $104.17 | 1 |
| CA | $108.82–$125.86 | 29 |
| CO | $107.75 | 1 |
| CT | $109.16 | 1 |
| DC | $114.56 | 1 |
| DE | $105.14 | 1 |
| FL | $104.44–$107.94 | 3 |
| GA | $102.27–$106.10 | 2 |
| GU | $108.77 | 1 |
| HI | $108.77 | 1 |
| IA | $102.14 | 1 |
| ID | $102.36 | 1 |
| IL | $103.25–$107.30 | 4 |
| IN | $102.58 | 1 |
| KS | $101.93 | 1 |
| KY | $101.90 | 1 |
| LA | $101.83–$103.63 | 2 |
| MA | $107.75–$113.82 | 2 |
| MD | $106.23–$114.56 | 3 |
| ME | $102.51–$104.58 | 2 |
| MI | $102.81–$104.88 | 2 |
| MN | $105.35 | 1 |
| MO | $101.18–$103.82 | 3 |
| MS | $100.91 | 1 |
| MT | $105.21 | 1 |
| NC | $102.90 | 1 |
| ND | $104.62 | 1 |
| NE | $102.35 | 1 |
| NH | $106.28 | 1 |
| NJ | $110.99–$114.66 | 2 |
| NM | $103.00 | 1 |
| NV | $105.07 | 1 |
| NY | $103.46–$116.37 | 5 |
| OH | $102.69 | 1 |
| OK | $101.88 | 1 |
| OR | $104.80–$109.38 | 2 |
| PA | $102.77–$107.95 | 2 |
| PR | $105.52 | 1 |
| RI | $107.49 | 1 |
| SC | $102.85 | 1 |
| SD | $104.55 | 1 |
| TN | $102.10 | 1 |
| TX | $102.53–$106.93 | 8 |
| UT | $103.37 | 1 |
| VA | $104.42–$114.56 | 2 |
| VI | $105.52 | 1 |
| VT | $104.43 | 1 |
| WA | $107.49–$115.38 | 2 |
| WI | $103.30 | 1 |
| WV | $101.84 | 1 |
| WY | $104.95 | 1 |
How the G0018 rate is calculated
Each of G0018’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 · G0018
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.25
2.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.87
0.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.1500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$105.21
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for G0018
The CMS indicators that decide how G0018 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · G0018
Crisis psychotherapy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
G0018 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- G0017Crisis psychotherapy
- G0017 covers the initial 60 minutes of crisis psychotherapy; G0018 is for additional time after that service.
- 90840Crisis psychotherapy
- 90840 is the billing code-family add-on for additional crisis psychotherapy time. G0018 belongs to the HCPCS G-code family.
- 90837Psychotherapy
- 90837 is for an extended psychotherapy session, while G0018 represents additional time in a crisis psychotherapy service.
G0018 billing questions
When should G0018 be reported instead of G0017?
G0017 reports the initial 60 minutes of crisis psychotherapy. G0018 reports additional crisis psychotherapy time after that initial service.
Can G0018 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a primary procedure; for this crisis psychotherapy code family, report it with G0017.
What should the documentation support?
Document the acute crisis, the psychotherapy and crisis interventions provided, and the additional time beyond the initial service.
Is G0018 for a longer routine psychotherapy visit?
No. The added time must be part of crisis psychotherapy, not merely an extended routine therapy session.
How does G0018 relate to billing code 90840?
Both describe additional crisis psychotherapy time in their respective code families. Follow the applicable coding pathway and do not report both codes for the same added service.
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
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