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Billing code 87390 · Lab & pathology

87390 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)

Clinical lab tests. Medicaid pays a median of $21.31 for 87390 across 50 states, from $10.50 in Pennsylvania to $28.87 in New Mexico.

Data as of Oct 5, 202650 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
50
National median
$21.31units vary by state
Lowest
$10.50Pennsylvania
Highest
$28.87New Mexico
Answer

What does Medicaid pay for 87390?

50 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for 87390. The national median is $21.31 (units differ between states). New Mexico pays the most, $28.87, and Pennsylvania the least, $10.50, a 2.7x spread.

State ranking

87390 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest

One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 50 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1New Mexico Source · since 2023-07-01$28.87——Plans must pay at least this—
2Texas Source · since 2019-07-04$25.98——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
3Arkansas Source · since 2025-06-04$25.19——Not classified—
25Oklahoma Source · since 2024-01-01$21.40——Plans must pay at least this—
26Massachusetts Source · since 2024-09-01$21.22——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
27New Hampshire Source · since 2025-01-01$20.81——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
49Florida Source · since 2026-01-01$11.55——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
50Pennsylvania Source · since 2005-12-01$10.50——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
See all 50 states for 87390 — start free

42 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.

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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 87390 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 87390, 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. 22 of the 50 states list more than one rate for 87390, 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 50 states, 1 publish 87390 per unit, and 49 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
  • Per hour. 87390 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 87390, 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 87390 rates differ between states

Published rates for 87390 run from $10.50 in Pennsylvania to $28.87 in New Mexico, a 2.7x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $21.31 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in lab & pathology rates:

  • Pathology services with an interpretation have professional and technical components that states price separately.
  • Fees for newer molecular and genetic tests are often set case by case, so fewer states publish them and the published amounts spread widely.
  • Some states bundle certain tests into panels or into facility payments, so the separately billable amount differs.

Timing matters too. 12 states set the current rate for 87390 in 2026 or later, while 21 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 87390

Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For 87390, 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 26 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. In 1 state, the service is paid outside the plans or through a state-directed payment. The rule for the remaining 16 states is not classified yet.

  • Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (26 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.
  • Paid by the state, outside the plans (1 state). Bill the state's Medicaid program, not the plan, at the published rate. There is no plan contract to negotiate for this service.

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 New Mexico managed care.

Billing

Units and billing for 87390

87390 is a CPT pathology and laboratory code in the lab & pathology line, billed mostly by independent laboratories, hospital labs and pathology groups. Laboratory codes are paid per test; a panel is paid as one code, not as the sum of its tests. Pathology codes with an interpretation can be split into professional and technical components.

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.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does Medicaid pay for 87390?

It depends on the state. Of the 50 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $21.31. New Mexico pays the most ($28.87) and Pennsylvania the least ($10.50).

Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for 87390?

New Mexico, at $28.87, effective 2023-07-01.

Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for 87390?

Pennsylvania, at $10.50, effective 2005-12-01.

What unit is 87390 billed in?

Of the 50 states, 1 publish 87390 per unit, and 49 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).

Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for 87390?

Not necessarily. In 7 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 26 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. In 1 state, the service is paid outside the plans or through a state-directed payment. The rule for the remaining 16 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.