Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse

CMS covers an annual alcohol screening for Medicare beneficiaries (including pregnant women) in primary care, and for those who screen positive for alcohol misuse (but not alcohol dependence) covers up to four brief face-to-face behavioral counseling interventions per 12-month period delivered by qualified primary care clinicians following the USPSTF 5A's approach. Services must be furnished in a primary care setting to competent, alert beneficiaries; screening more than once per year, counseling more than once per day, counseling more than four times per year, and services provided in excluded non-primary-care settings are non-covered. Other Medicare coinsurance and the Part B deductible are waived for this preventive service.

"Medicare beneficiaries, including pregnant women, are eligible for annual alcohol screening in primary care settings."

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