HCPCS Code G0288: Reconstruction, CTA of aorta for surgery

Key takeaways

HCPCS Code G0288 covers reconstruction of computed tomographic angiography of the aorta, performed to plan vascular surgery.

G0288 carries no physician work RVU. Its 1.38 total RVUs for 2026 are practice expense and malpractice value only.

CMS classifies G0288 as a technical component only code, so modifiers 26 and TC cannot be appended to it.

Every claim needs a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, and the four-character I71 aneurysm codes are no longer billable.

Pabau’s claims management software submits claims to your clearinghouse and checks required fields before each claim goes out.

What is HCPCS Code G0288?

HCPCS Code G0288 is the Medicare code for reconstruction of computed tomographic angiography of the aorta, performed to plan vascular surgery. CMS added the code in 2003 and it remains active for 2026.

The long descriptor is reconstruction, computed tomographic angiography of aorta for surgical planning for vascular surgery. It is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This is a HCPCS Level II G-series code, so CMS maintains it rather than the AMA’s CPT editorial panel.

One line in the fee schedule settles most G0288 questions. The code carries a work RVU of 0.00 and a PC/TC indicator of 3, which identifies a technical component only code. Modifiers 26 and TC cannot be used with it.

G0288 pays for the reconstruction, not for the CTA scan that produced the images. That acquisition is billed separately under its own CPT code, and confusing the two is the most common reason these claims are reworked.

Code details at a glance

The table below summarizes the core code attributes for quick reference. Verify active status against the current CMS HCPCS annual release before billing.

When the code applies

A vascular surgeon planning an aortic repair needs more than a standard CT scan. They need a reconstructed three-dimensional model of the aorta, showing diameter, angulation, branch vessel involvement, and the landing zones for a graft or stent.

Producing that model takes workstation time and trained staff. G0288 is the code CMS created to pay for those resources when the reconstruction is done to plan a procedure on the aorta.

G0288 is not used for routine diagnostic CTA of the aorta ordered to evaluate suspected disease. The surgical planning context is the defining clinical element, and it has to be visible in the record.

• EVAR pre-operative planning: determining endograft sizing based on aortic neck diameter, iliac anatomy, and landing zone measurements
• TEVAR planning: assessing thoracic aortic anatomy, access vessel suitability, and coverage length
• Open aortic repair planning: evaluating aortic morphology for surgical approach decisions
• Aortic dissection repair planning: mapping true versus false lumen anatomy before surgical or endovascular intervention

Medicare coverage and eligibility

Medicare covers G0288 under the Physician Fee Schedule when medical necessity is established and documented. The HCPCS file assigns the code coverage code C, which means carrier judgment. Your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) decides whether a given claim is reasonable and necessary.

No National Coverage Determination governs G0288. Local Coverage Determinations can, so check the LCD for the provider’s MAC jurisdiction before billing. Some MACs publish a covered diagnosis list that narrows the eligible patient population.

How much Medicare pays for G0288 in 2026

G0288 is priced from national relative value units rather than set locally by each contractor. For 2026 CMS assigns it 1.38 total RVUs. Multiplying that by the conversion factor gives the national amount before any geographic adjustment.

CMS set two conversion factors for 2026. Qualifying alternative payment model participants are paid at $33.5675, and everyone else at $33.4009. G0288 therefore pays $46.32 or $46.09 nationally before adjustment. The figures below come from the CMS relative value files for January 2026.

Use the CMS Physician Fee Schedule lookup tool to confirm the amount for a specific MAC jurisdiction before you set a charge.

Why the national average understates the spread

The national figure is a weak planning number for this particular code. Almost all of its value sits in practice expense, and the practice expense index varies more across localities than the work index does.

Run the 2026 geographic indices across all 109 Medicare localities and the payment ranges from $38.98 in Arkansas to $64.67 in the San Jose locality. That is a 66% spread on a single code.

A charge master built on the national average will therefore be wrong in most localities. Pull the rate for your own MAC locality once a year, when the fee schedule updates.

Facility and non-facility rates

G0288 has no facility versus non-facility differential. CMS publishes the same 1.38 total RVUs in both columns, so the payment does not move with the setting.

CMS also flags the facility practice expense value as not applicable. That flag means the service is rarely or never furnished in a facility setting. Where a hospital performs the reconstruction, the hospital bills it under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System instead.

Place of service and who bills

Place of service (POS) codes tell Medicare where the service was rendered. For G0288 they do not switch the claim between a facility and a non-facility rate, because the code has only one rate. They still have to match the site of service.

Mismatched place of service codes are among the most common reasons G0288 claims are returned for correction rather than denied outright. A returned claim can be rebilled, but it delays payment and consumes billing staff time.

Which modifiers apply

G0288 takes fewer modifiers than most imaging codes, because CMS treats it as a technical component only code. The two modifiers coders reach for first are the two that are never valid on it.

Modifier 26 on a G0288 line is the most frequent modifier error on this code. It comes from the habit coders carry over from CPT imaging codes, which do split into professional and technical components.

ICD-10 diagnosis codes that support medical necessity

Every G0288 claim needs a supporting ICD-10-CM diagnosis code that justifies the surgical planning. The aortic conditions in category I71 account for most pairings.

Category I71 was expanded in the FY2023 update, effective October 1, 2022. The four-character codes I71.2, I71.3, I71.4 and I71.6 became parent headers at that point, so none of them is billable now. A claim carrying one is rejected as an invalid code.

The billable options sit one character deeper. Our ICD-10-CM code reference lists the full category, and the table below covers the pairings that come up most in aortic surgical planning.

Where the record does not specify a site, I71.9 is the fallback. It is billable, but a MAC covered-code list may exclude it, so reach for it only when the documentation genuinely supports nothing more specific.

Some MAC LCDs maintain a specific list of covered ICD-10-CM codes for G0288. A clinically accurate code outside that list is still a denial. Cross-reference the documented diagnosis against the LCD’s covered table before submission.

Billing guidelines and documentation

A clean G0288 claim starts with documentation that establishes three things. The clinical indication for the reconstruction, the surgical intent behind it, and the reconstruction work actually performed. Incomplete records cause most G0288 denials, even where the code and modifiers are correct.

• Interpretation report: a signed, dated report documenting the findings of the CTA reconstruction and their relevance to surgical planning. A generic radiology report may not satisfy medical necessity.
• Surgical planning documentation: evidence in the record that the reconstruction was performed to plan a procedure, not for routine surveillance. A surgical consultation or operative planning note referencing the study satisfies this.
• Ordering provider documentation: the ordering physician’s record of medical necessity, including the diagnosis and the planned procedure. This connects the study to the covered indication.
• ICD-10-CM specificity: use a billable child code from the expanded I71 category. An unspecified code invites a MAC question when the record supports a more specific site.
• Charge entry accuracy: confirm the charge carries the correct HCPCS code, no modifier 26 or TC, and the right place of service before transmission.

Common billing errors and how to avoid them

Most G0288 problems fall into a small number of categories. Addressing them before submission reduces denial rates and rework time.

• Appending modifier 26 or TC: G0288 is a technical component only code, so neither modifier is valid on it. This is the most frequent modifier error on the code.
• Billing G0288 for a diagnostic-only CTA: the code requires surgical planning intent. Where the study was ordered for surveillance with no surgical plan in the record, the claim has no defensible medical necessity basis.
• Submitting a non-billable I71 parent code: I71.2, I71.3, I71.4 and I71.6 became parent headers in FY2023. Use the five-character child code that matches the documented site.
• Using a diagnosis outside the LCD covered list: a clinically accurate code may still sit outside the MAC’s covered list for G0288. Check the LCD before billing a borderline diagnosis.
• Ignoring CCI edits: G0288 should not be billed alongside codes that Medicare’s Correct Coding Initiative treats as inclusive to it. Check the edits before pairing it with another imaging or post-processing code on the same date.

How G0288 differs from the CPT imaging codes

Choosing between G0288 and the CPT imaging codes is where most coders hesitate. The table separates the acquisition codes from the reconstruction codes.

Where a practice both acquires the CTA and performs the reconstruction, each service needs its own documentation for the date it was furnished. Practice management software like Pabau adds a mechanical check on top of that. Pabau’s software for billing teams validates required claim fields before submission, so an incomplete line reaches your biller rather than the payer.

How Pabau keeps a G0288 charge from going missing

Vascular billing teams usually work across three screens. The imaging record sits in one system, the charge entry in another, and claim status in a clearinghouse portal. A G0288 line goes missing in the handoff between them.

Pabau keeps the patient record, the invoice, and the charge in one place, so the reconstruction is billed from the same record that documents it. Its claims tools submit to your clearinghouse, run patient eligibility checks, and validate required fields before a claim leaves the practice.

Remittance advice comes back into the same system, so a G0288 denial lands against the patient it belongs to. Your billers then spend their time on the claims that need a person, instead of reconciling three exports.

Fewer returned claims for your billing team

Pabau submits claims to your clearinghouse, runs eligibility checks, and validates required fields before each claim goes out. Remittance advice comes back to the same patient record.

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Conclusion

G0288 rewards precision in three places. It takes no modifier 26 and no TC. It pays one rate regardless of setting. And it needs a five-character ICD-10-CM code from the expanded I71 category.

The trade-off worth remembering is the locality spread. A charge master built on the $46.32 national figure will under-collect in high-cost localities and overstate expected revenue in low-cost ones. Pull your own MAC rate when the fee schedule updates each January.

For practices running volume through vascular imaging, the documentation habit matters more than the code lookup. Pabau’s claims tools submit each claim to your clearinghouse and check the required fields first, so fewer claims come back for correction. Book a demo to see how it fits your vascular billing workflow.

Continue your research

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