77085 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Imaging and radiology. Medicaid pays a median of $33.96 for 77085 across 46 states, from $11.79 in Texas to $187.53 in Nebraska.
- States publishing
- 46
- National median
- $33.96units vary by state
- Lowest
- $11.79Texas
- Highest
- $187.53Nebraska
What does Medicaid pay for 77085?
46 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 77085. The national median is $33.96 (units differ between states). Nebraska pays the most, $187.53, and Texas the least, $11.79, a 15.9x spread.
Medicare (non-facility, 2026 physician fee schedule): $47.67–$74.08 depending on the state's Medicare locality.
77085 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 46 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 77085, 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. 41 of the 46 states list more than one rate for 77085, 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 46 states, 1 publish 77085 per unit, and 45 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. 77085 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. Medicare amounts exist for 77085, but no state's Medicaid unit matches Medicare's billing unit closely enough to compute a percentage.
- Source and date. Each Source link opens the state's own document; “since” is the date the rate took effect.
Why 77085 rates differ between states
Published rates for 77085 run from $11.79 in Texas to $187.53 in Nebraska, a 15.9x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $33.96 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in radiology rates:
- Some states pay hospitals for the technical component through an outpatient system and pay only the professional component from the physician schedule.
- Advanced imaging such as CT, MRI and PET is often under separate pricing and prior-authorization policies that vary from state to state.
- States that benchmark imaging to Medicare use different percentages and different Medicare years.
Timing matters too. 28 states set the current rate for 77085 in 2026 or later, while 8 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 77085
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For 77085, the public signal is the rule each state sets for its plans, recorded on each rate above.
In 7 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 24 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 15 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (24 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 (7 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 Nebraska managed care.
Units and billing for 77085
77085 is a CPT radiology code in the radiology line, billed mostly by radiology groups, imaging centers and hospitals. Imaging codes are paid per study and split into a professional component (the reading, modifier 26) and a technical component (the equipment and staff, modifier TC). A global amount covers both.
Imaging is billed per study, with modifier 26 for the professional component and TC for the technical component; a claim without either is paid at the global amount where the state publishes one. Contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals are usually billed separately under their own codes.
Medicare's 2026 physician fee schedule pays $47.67–$74.08 for 77085 (non-facility), depending on the Medicare locality. That is a useful reference point, but Medicare and Medicaid can define the unit differently, so compare only where the units match.
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 77085?
It depends on the state. Of the 46 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $33.96. Nebraska pays the most ($187.53) and Texas the least ($11.79).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 77085?
Nebraska, at $187.53, effective 2026-07-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 77085?
Texas, at $11.79, effective 2025-03-01.
What unit is 77085 billed in?
Of the 46 states, 1 publish 77085 per unit, and 45 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 77085?
Not necessarily. In 7 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 24 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 15 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.