Modifier AQ – • Services provided in a Health Professional Shortage Area

• Services provided in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)

Appropriate Usage:

• For dates of service on or after January 1, 2006, AQ, replaces the two existing modifiers, QB and QU, for physician services provided in HPSAs
• When you provide services in zip code areas that do not fall entirely within a designated full county HPSA bonus area;
• When you provide services in a zip code area that falls partially within a full county HPSA but is not considered to be in that county based on the USPS dominance decision;
• When you provide services in a zip code area that falls partially within a non-full county HPSA;
• When you provide services in a zip code area that was not included in the automated file of HPSA areas based on the date of the data run used to create the file.