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Billing code G0480 · Physician & professional

G0480 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)

Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing. Medicaid pays a median of $91.54 per day for G0480 across 47 states, from $10.00 in Kansas to $171.65 in New Mexico.

Data as of Oct 5, 202647 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
47
National median
$91.54per day
Lowest
$10.00Kansas
Highest
$171.65New Mexico
Answer

What does Medicaid pay for G0480?

47 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for G0480. The national median is $91.54 per day. New Mexico pays the most, $171.65 per day, and Kansas the least, $10.00 per day, a 17.2x spread.

State ranking

G0480 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest

One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 47 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1New Mexico Source · since 2025-01-01$171.65day—Plans must pay at least this—
2Texas Source · since 2019-07-04$123.58day—Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
3Nebraska Source · since 2026-07-01$114.43day—Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
23Georgia Source · since 2018-10-01$94.12day—Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
24Oregon Source · since 2024-10-01$91.54day—Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
25New Jersey Source · since 2025-01-01$91.54day—Plans must pay at least this—
46New York Source · since 2020-05-29$15.15day—Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
47Kansas Source · since 2016-01-01$10.00day—Not classified—
See all 47 states for G0480 — start free

39 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 G0480 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: 47 of the 47 states publish G0480 per day, enough to rank them against each other.
  • Medicaid rate. The most the state's fee-for-service program pays for one unit, as published. 17 of the 47 states list more than one rate for G0480, 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. All 47 states publish G0480 per day, so the amounts compare directly.
  • Per hour. G0480 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 G0480, 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 G0480 rates differ between states

Published rates for G0480 run from $10.00 in Kansas to $171.65 in New Mexico, a 17.2x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $91.54 per day and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in physician & professional rates:

  • 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.
  • Each state sets its own physician conversion factor or fee for every code, and many update them on a state budget cycle rather than on Medicare's calendar.
  • 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.

Timing matters too. 9 states set the current rate for G0480 in 2026 or later, while 18 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 G0480

No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for G0480. 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 9 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 14 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 (9 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 New Mexico managed care.

Billing

Units and billing for G0480

G0480 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. Practitioners who are not physicians are often paid a reduced percentage of the published amount, so check the schedule for the reduction that applies to your provider type.

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 G0480?

It depends on the state. Of the 47 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $91.54 per day. New Mexico pays the most ($171.65 per day) and Kansas the least ($10.00 per day).

Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for G0480?

New Mexico, at $171.65 per day, effective 2025-01-01.

Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for G0480?

Kansas, at $10.00 per day, effective 2016-01-01.

What unit is G0480 billed in?

All 47 states publish G0480 per day, so the amounts compare directly.

Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for G0480?

Not necessarily. In 9 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 14 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.