Skip to content
Billing code G0443 · Physician & professional

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.

Data as of Oct 5, 202613 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
13
National median
$27.79units vary by state
Lowest
$3.95Kansas
Highest
$62.21Alaska
Median per hour
$112.2612 time-based states
Answer

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.

State ranking

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.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1Alaska Source · since 2026-07-01$62.2115 min$248.84Not classified—
2Montana Source · since 2026-07-01$48.3615 min$193.44Not classified—
3New Mexico Source · since 2025-01-01$35.8715 min$143.48Plans must pay at least this—
6Vermont Source · since 2026-01-01$28.5815 min$114.32Not classified—
7Indiana Source · since 2026-01-01$27.79unit—Plans must pay at least this—
8Oregon Source · since 2026-02-01$27.5515 min$110.20Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
12New Jersey Source · since 2026-07-01$14.7515 min$59.00Not classified—
13Kansas Source · since 2012-01-01$3.9515 min$15.80Not classified—
See all 13 states for G0443 — start free

5 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
  • Full rate history
  • CSV and API export

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 G0443 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. 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.
Context

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.

Managed care

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.

Billing

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.

FAQ

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.