​Effective July 1, 2023, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) participating primary care physicians (PCPs) can be reimbursed above capitation for performing depression screenings on Commercial and Medicare Advantage HMO and HMO-POS members. To ensure proper reimbursement for depression screenings, PCPs must use billing code G0444.

The following Independence policies have been updated to reflect this:

• Commercial: #00.10.01ai: Services Paid Above Capitation for Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Health Maintenance Organization Point-of-Service (HMO-POS) Primary Care Providers
• Medicare Advantage: #MA00.033n Services Paid Above Capitation for Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Health Maintenance Organization Point-of-Service (HMO-POS) Primary Care Providers

To see the specific policy changes, click on the policy name and scroll down to Policy History. To view the latest medical and claim payment policy bulletins, visit the Medical and Claim Payment Policy Portal.

This policy is meant to support providers screening for major depressive disorder using a validated screening tool for all adults as part of primary care, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.