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Billing code 46999 · Physician & professional

46999 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)

Physician and practitioner services (fee schedule). Medicaid pays a median of $148.89 for 46999 across 8 states, from $12.72 in Maine to $500.00 in District of Columbia.

Data as of Oct 5, 20268 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
8
National median
$148.89units vary by state
Lowest
$12.72Maine
Highest
$500.00District of Columbia
Answer

What does Medicaid pay for 46999?

8 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 46999. The national median is $148.89 (units differ between states). District of Columbia pays the most, $500.00, and Maine the least, $12.72, a 39.3x spread.

State ranking

46999 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest

One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 8 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1District of Columbia Source · since 1999-04-01$500.00——Not classified—
2Montana Source · since 2025-07-01$417.72——Not classified—
3Idaho Source · since 2025-09-01$359.95——Not classified—
7Indiana Source · since 2010-01-01$20.00percent of billed charges—Plans must pay at least this—
8Maine Source · since 2026-01-01$12.72——Not classified—
See all 8 states for 46999 — start free

3 more states, with every modifier and provider-type variant, rate history and the plan rule in each state. 14-day free trial, no credit card.

  • Source for every rate
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Rates are per the unit shown for each state; units can differ between states. Medicare amounts are computed from the CMS relative value file and locality cost indices; states with several Medicare localities show a range. Confirm rates with the payer before billing.

Track 46999 in your states. Get an alert when any state changes it, with every variant and the managed-care rule.
Guide

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 46999, 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. 2 of the 8 states list more than one rate for 46999, 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 8 states, 1 publish 46999 per percent of billed charges, and 7 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
  • Per hour. 46999 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 46999, 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.
Context

Why 46999 rates differ between states

Published rates for 46999 run from $12.72 in Maine to $500.00 in District of Columbia, a 39.3x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $148.89 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in physician & professional rates:

  • Modifiers such as professional or technical component, bilateral, multiple procedure and assistant at surgery change the amount paid, and states apply them with their own percentages.
  • Many schedules pay differently by place of service (office versus facility) and by practitioner, and nurse practitioners and physician assistants are often paid a percentage of the physician amount.
  • Some states pay physician services as a percentage of the Medicare fee schedule; others keep a schedule of their own that may not have been rebased for years.

Timing matters too. 3 states set the current rate for 46999 in 2026 or later, while 3 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.

Managed care

What managed-care plans pay for 46999

No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for 46999. 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 1 state, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 2 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 5 states is not classified yet.

  • Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (2 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 District of Columbia managed care.

Billing

Units and billing for 46999

46999 is a CPT surgery code in the physician & professional line, billed mostly by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other licensed practitioners. Surgical codes are paid once per procedure. The fee can include a global period of related care before and after the procedure, and modifiers for multiple, bilateral or assistant procedures raise or reduce what is actually paid.

Physician-fee-schedule codes are billed per service: one unit is one occurrence unless the code itself is defined by time or quantity. Practitioners who are not physicians are often paid a reduced percentage of the published amount, so check the schedule for the reduction that applies to your provider type.

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.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does Medicaid pay for 46999?

It depends on the state. Of the 8 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $148.89. District of Columbia pays the most ($500.00) and Maine the least ($12.72).

Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 46999?

District of Columbia, at $500.00, effective 1999-04-01.

Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 46999?

Maine, at $12.72, effective 2026-01-01.

What unit is 46999 billed in?

Of the 8 states, 1 publish 46999 per percent of billed charges, and 7 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).

Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 46999?

Not necessarily. In 1 state, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 2 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 5 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.