0322U Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Clinical lab tests. Medicaid pays a median of $712.50 for 0322U across 6 states, from $600.00 in District of Columbia to $750.00 in Montana.
- States publishing
- 6
- National median
- $712.50units vary by state
- Lowest
- $600.00District of Columbia
- Highest
- $750.00Montana
What does Medicaid pay for 0322U?
6 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 0322U. The national median is $712.50 (units differ between states). Montana pays the most, $750.00, and District of Columbia the least, $600.00, a 1.3x spread.
0322U rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 6 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 0322U, 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. Each state lists a single rate for 0322U.
- Unit. None of the 6 schedules prints a separate unit for 0322U, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
- Per hour. 0322U 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 0322U, 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 0322U rates differ between states
Published rates for 0322U run from $600.00 in District of Columbia to $750.00 in Montana, a 1.3x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $712.50 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. 3 states set the current rate for 0322U in 2026 or later. 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 0322U
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For 0322U, the public signal is the rule each state sets for its plans, recorded on each rate above.
In 1 state, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 3 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 2 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (3 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 (1 state). 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 Montana managed care.
Units and billing for 0322U
0322U 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.
Pathology interpretation can be billed with modifier 26 when the laboratory and the pathologist bill separately. Laboratory tests are billed per test, and a panel is paid as a single code rather than as the sum of its component tests.
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 0322U?
It depends on the state. Of the 6 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $712.50. Montana pays the most ($750.00) and District of Columbia the least ($600.00).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 0322U?
Montana, at $750.00, effective 2023-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 0322U?
District of Columbia, at $600.00, effective 2023-04-01.
What unit is 0322U billed in?
None of the 6 schedules prints a separate unit for 0322U, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 0322U?
Not necessarily. In 1 state, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 3 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 2 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.