0241U Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Clinical lab tests. Medicaid pays a median of $142.63 for 0241U across 11 states, from $142.50 in Arizona to $152.84 in Colorado.
- States publishing
- 11
- National median
- $142.63units vary by state
- Lowest
- $142.50Arizona
- Highest
- $152.84Colorado
What does Medicaid pay for 0241U?
11 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 0241U. The national median is $142.63 (units differ between states). Colorado pays the most, $152.84, and Arizona the least, $142.50, a 1.1x spread.
0241U rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 11 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.
How to read this table
- Order. States are listed from the highest published rate to the lowest. No single unit is shared by 8 or more states for 0241U, so the order is by published amount and is not a like-for-like rank.
- Medicaid rate. The most the state's fee-for-service program pays for one unit, as published. 4 of the 11 states list more than one rate for 0241U, by modifier, provider type or setting; the table shows the one that matches the provider level and setting used across states, without add-ons.
- Unit. None of the 11 schedules prints a separate unit for 0241U, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
- Per hour. 0241U is not billed in time units in these states, so no hourly figure is shown.
- Managed-care plans. The rule the state sets for its plans on this rate. What each rule means is explained below.
- % of Medicare. No Medicare physician fee schedule amount is on file for 0241U, so there is no percentage.
- Source and date. Each Source link opens the state's own document; “since” is the date the rate took effect.
Why 0241U rates differ between states
Published rates for 0241U run from $142.50 in Arizona to $152.84 in Colorado, a 1.1x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $142.63 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in lab & pathology rates:
- Many states set clinical laboratory fees with reference to the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, but at different percentages and from different update years.
- Pathology services with an interpretation have professional and technical components that states price separately.
- Some states bundle certain tests into panels or into facility payments, so the separately billable amount differs.
Timing matters too. None of the states changed its rate for 0241U in 2026, while 5 states still pay a rate that took effect in 2022 or earlier. A state that has not updated its rate in years will drift down the ranking as others raise theirs.
What managed-care plans pay for 0241U
No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for 0241U. What is public is the rule each state's plan contracts set, and that rule decides how much the published rate matters when you contract with a plan.
In 3 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 5 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 3 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (5 states). In-network rates can be above or below the published rate. The published rate is the benchmark both sides know, and the fallback if no contract is signed.
- Plans must pay at least the published rate (3 states). The published rate is your floor. Negotiate up from it, and if a plan pays less, the contract provision is the basis for a payment dispute.
Plan-negotiated rates are never estimated here. To see the rule and its citation for a particular state, open that state's managed-care page, for example Colorado managed care.
Units and billing for 0241U
0241U is a CPT proprietary laboratory analysis code in the lab & pathology line, billed mostly by independent laboratories, hospital labs and pathology groups. PLA codes identify a specific laboratory's test and are paid per test.
Laboratory tests are billed per test, and a panel is paid as a single code rather than as the sum of its component tests. Pathology interpretation can be billed with modifier 26 when the laboratory and the pathologist bill separately.
Before billing, confirm the rate, unit and any modifier with the state's current schedule or the plan: the amounts here are as published, not a guarantee of payment.
Frequently asked questions
What does Medicaid pay for 0241U?
It depends on the state. Of the 11 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $142.63. Colorado pays the most ($152.84) and Arizona the least ($142.50).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 0241U?
Colorado, at $152.84, effective 2024-07-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 0241U?
Arizona, at $142.50, effective 2025-04-01.
What unit is 0241U billed in?
None of the 11 schedules prints a separate unit for 0241U, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 0241U?
Not necessarily. In 3 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 5 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 3 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.