129 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
EAPG relative weight (outpatient hospital or surgery center). Medicaid pays a median of $8.60 for 129 across 5 states, from $7.00 in Illinois to $18.25 in Wisconsin.
- States publishing
- 5
- National median
- $8.60units vary by state
- Lowest
- $7.00Illinois
- Highest
- $18.25Wisconsin
What does Medicaid pay for 129?
5 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 129. The national median is $8.60 (units differ between states). Wisconsin pays the most, $18.25, and Illinois the least, $7.00, a 2.6x spread.
129 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 5 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 129, 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. 1 of the 5 states list more than one rate for 129, 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. Of the 5 states, 1 publish 129 per relative weight and 1 per eapg weight, and 3 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. 129 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 129, 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 129 rates differ between states
Published rates for 129 run from $7.00 in Illinois to $18.25 in Wisconsin, a 2.6x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $8.60 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in hospital outpatient rates:
- Many outpatient amounts are hospital-specific or adjusted by hospital type.
- States pay outpatient hospital care under different systems: grouped payments, a fee schedule or a percentage of charges.
Timing matters too. 2 states set the current rate for 129 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 129
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For 129, 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 4 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (4 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 Wisconsin managed care.
Units and billing for 129
129 is a revenue code in the hospital outpatient line, billed mostly by hospital outpatient departments. Revenue codes identify a facility's accommodation or cost center on an institutional claim. Day-rate services such as hospice and nursing facility care are billed per day under them.
Outpatient services are billed per procedure, and some systems package lower-cost items into the payment for the main service.
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 129?
It depends on the state. Of the 5 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $8.60. Wisconsin pays the most ($18.25) and Illinois the least ($7.00).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 129?
Wisconsin, at $18.25, effective 2026-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 129?
Illinois, at $7.00, effective 2023-08-01.
What unit is 129 billed in?
Of the 5 states, 1 publish 129 per relative weight and 1 per eapg weight, and 3 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 129?
Not necessarily. In 1 state, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 4 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.