G0296 LDCT counseling Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama

G0296 represents a face-to-face counseling and shared decision-making visit to determine whether a patient should undergo lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT). A physician or qualified nonphysician practitioner typically conducts the visit in an office or outpatient setting. The patient must be asymptomatic and meet Medicare screening criteria, including age 50 through 77, at least a 20 pack-year smoking history, and current smoking or quitting within the past 15 years. The discussion addresses screening benefits and harms, the importance of annual adherence, the effect of comorbidities, and willingness to pursue evaluation and treatment if needed.

Report G0296 for the eligibility and decision visit, not for image acquisition; report 71271 for the screening CT. Documentation should support the patient’s age and smoking history, absence of lung cancer symptoms, eligibility assessment, use of a decision aid, and shared decision-making discussion. Include documentation of smoking cessation or abstinence counseling as appropriate. The code is associated with the initial screening decision visit before the first LDCT; it does not describe the scan itself.