B4100 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Food thickener, administered orally, per ounce. Medicaid pays a median of $0.75 for B4100 across 22 states, from $0.28 in New Mexico to $5.30 in Maryland.
- States publishing
- 22
- National median
- $0.75units vary by state
- Lowest
- $0.28New Mexico
- Highest
- $5.30Maryland
What does Medicaid pay for B4100?
22 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for B4100. The national median is $0.75 (units differ between states). Maryland pays the most, $5.30, and New Mexico the least, $0.28, a 18.9x spread.
B4100 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 22 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 B4100, 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. 6 of the 22 states list more than one rate for B4100, 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 22 states, 1 publish B4100 per ounce, and 21 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. B4100 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 B4100, 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 B4100 rates differ between states
Published rates for B4100 run from $0.28 in New Mexico to $5.30 in Maryland, a 18.9x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $0.75 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in equipment & supplies rates:
- Many states set equipment and supply fees as a percentage of the Medicare DMEPOS fee schedule, at different percentages and from different years.
- A single code can carry separate purchase, rental and used-equipment amounts, and states publish different subsets of them.
- Some items are priced individually from the manufacturer's price or the supplier's invoice, so fewer states publish a fixed fee.
Timing matters too. 5 states set the current rate for B4100 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 B4100
No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for B4100. 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 3 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 11 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 8 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (11 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 (3 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 Maryland managed care.
Units and billing for B4100
B4100 is a HCPCS Level II enteral and parenteral therapy code in the equipment & supplies line, billed mostly by durable medical equipment suppliers, orthotists, prosthetists and pharmacies. B codes cover enteral and parenteral nutrition, supplies and pumps. They are commonly billed per unit of nutrient or per day of supplies, and pumps may be rented or purchased.
Pricing modifiers decide which amount applies: NU for a new purchase, RR for a monthly rental and UE for used equipment. Units follow the code: per item, per pair, per box or per month of rental, so a per-unit comparison only holds when the states use the same unit.
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 B4100?
It depends on the state. Of the 22 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $0.75. Maryland pays the most ($5.30) and New Mexico the least ($0.28).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for B4100?
Maryland, at $5.30, effective 2021-02-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for B4100?
New Mexico, at $0.28, effective 2025-01-01.
What unit is B4100 billed in?
Of the 22 states, 1 publish B4100 per ounce, and 21 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for B4100?
Not necessarily. In 3 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 11 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 8 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.