Q5HCPCS Level II
Service furnished under a reciprocal billing arrangement by a substitute
- Usage notes
- Append when a substitute physician covered for the regular physician under a reciprocal billing arrangement, and the regular physician bills for the substitute's services.
- Common mistakes
- Using Q5 beyond the arrangement's permitted continuous coverage period without switching to the correct locum tenens (Q6) billing approach.
Related modifiers
Q0Investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that isQ1Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in anQ2Demonstration procedure/serviceQ3Live kidney donor surgery and related servicesQ4Service for ordering/referring physician qualifies as a service exemptionQ6Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substituteQ7One class a findingQ8Two class b findings
Frequently asked questions
What does modifier Q5 mean?
Service furnished under a reciprocal billing arrangement by a substitute
When do I use modifier Q5?
Append when a substitute physician covered for the regular physician under a reciprocal billing arrangement, and the regular physician bills for the substitute's services.
What's a common mistake with modifier Q5?
Using Q5 beyond the arrangement's permitted continuous coverage period without switching to the correct locum tenens (Q6) billing approach.
HCPCS modifier data from CMS. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association — CPT modifier descriptions are not included on this site. Always verify codes with authoritative sources before making billing decisions.