G0443 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Brief face-to-face behavioral counseling for alcohol misuse. Medicaid pays a median of $27.79 for G0443 across 13 states, from $3.95 in Kansas to $62.21 in Alaska.
- States publishing
- 13
- National median
- $27.79units vary by state
- Lowest
- $3.95Kansas
- Highest
- $62.21Alaska
- Median per hour
- $112.2612 time-based states
What does Medicaid pay for G0443?
13 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for G0443. The national median is $27.79 (units differ between states). Alaska pays the most, $62.21 per 15 min, and Kansas the least, $3.95 per 15 min, a 15.7x spread. Converted to an hour of service in the 12 states that bill it by time, the median is $112.26 per hour.
Medicare (non-facility, 2026 physician fee schedule): $32.49–$44.67 depending on the state's Medicare locality.
G0443 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 13 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. A like-for-like rank only counts states that use the same unit: 12 of the 13 states publish G0443 per 15 min, enough to rank them against each other.
- Medicaid rate. The most the state's fee-for-service program pays for one unit, as published. 9 of the 13 states list more than one rate for G0443, 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 13 states, 12 publish G0443 per 15 min and 1 per unit.
- Per hour. Time-based units are converted to an hour of service (four 15-minute units make an hour). 12 of the 13 states bill G0443 by time, with a median of $112.26 per hour.
- 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 G0443, 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 G0443 rates differ between states
Published rates for G0443 run from $3.95 in Kansas to $62.21 in Alaska, a 15.7x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $27.79 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in physician & professional rates:
- 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.
- Primary-care and pediatric add-ons, enhanced rates for certain specialties and targeted increases for access problems change individual codes without moving the rest of the schedule.
Timing matters too. 8 states set the current rate for G0443 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.
What managed-care plans pay for G0443
What a plan pays for G0443 is negotiated privately, but the state decides how much room there is to negotiate. Here is how the rules break down across the 13 states.
In 6 states, 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 must pay at least the published rate (6 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.
- 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.
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 Alaska managed care.
Units and billing for G0443
G0443 is a HCPCS Level II professional services code in the physician & professional line, billed mostly by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other licensed practitioners. G codes describe professional services and procedures that have no CPT code, or that payers define more narrowly. Many are timed, so check the unit before comparing.
Physician-fee-schedule codes are billed per service: one unit is one occurrence unless the code itself is defined by time or quantity. Where a state publishes separate facility and non-facility amounts, the non-facility (office) amount is usually higher because the practice carries the overhead.
Medicare's 2026 physician fee schedule pays $32.49–$44.67 for G0443 (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 G0443?
It depends on the state. Of the 13 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $27.79. Alaska pays the most ($62.21 per 15 min) and Kansas the least ($3.95 per 15 min).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for G0443?
Alaska, at $62.21 per 15 min ($248.84 per hour), effective 2026-07-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for G0443?
Kansas, at $3.95 per 15 min ($15.80 per hour), effective 2012-01-01.
What unit is G0443 billed in?
Of the 13 states, 12 publish G0443 per 15 min and 1 per unit. 12 of the 13 states bill it by time, and their rates are also shown per hour.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for G0443?
Not necessarily. In 6 states, 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.