HCPCS

H0019: Long-Term Residential Behavioral Health Billing Code

HCPCS H0019 is long-term residential behavioral health care, typically over 30 days, without room and board. How it differs from H0018.

Last reviewed October 2026

Official descriptor

H0019: Behavioral health; long-term residential (non-medical, non-acute care in a residential treatment program where stay is typically longer than 30 days), without room and board, per diem

CMS HCPCS file, October 2026

When H0019 applies

H0019 is for longer residential stays in a non-medical, non-acute setting. The descriptor names stays typically longer than 30 days. Like H0018, it excludes room and board.

It shows up most in Medicaid and state program billing. Point32Health's policy, for example, uses H0019 for residential rehabilitation services in Massachusetts, with modifiers for youth, families and pregnant or postpartum women.

CMS lists it with coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. Commercial payers and Medicaid programs set their own rules for it.

H0018 or H0019

	H0018	H0019
Setting	Non-hospital residential program	Non-medical, non-acute residential program
Typical stay	Short-term (no limit stated)	Typically longer than 30 days
Room and board	Excluded	Excluded

Common denials and fixes

Wrong code for the stay type. Billing H0019 for an acute or medically monitored stay invites a coding or level of care denial. Match the code to the program you run.
Modifier required. Programs like Point32Health's require modifiers for specific populations. A missing modifier can deny as CO-4.
Authorization span ended. CO-198 for days past the approved span.

Questions

Can a commercial payer require H0019?

Some can. Check the payer's billing guide; many commercial guides list no HCPCS for residential.

Is H0019 a mental health or SUD code?

The descriptor says behavioral health, so it can cover both. Payer policies decide which programs may use it.

Revenue code guide Denial code lookup

Sources

Educational summary, not billing advice. Your contract and the payer's current guide decide how to bill.