G0482 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing. Medicaid pays a median of $165.06 per day for G0482 across 42 states, from $10.00 in Kansas to $298.11 in New Mexico.
- States publishing
- 42
- National median
- $165.06per day
- Lowest
- $10.00Kansas
- Highest
- $298.11New Mexico
What does Medicaid pay for G0482?
42 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for G0482. The national median is $165.06 per day. New Mexico pays the most, $298.11 per day, and Kansas the least, $10.00 per day, a 29.8x spread.
G0482 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 42 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: 42 of the 42 states publish G0482 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. 11 of the 42 states list more than one rate for G0482, 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 42 states publish G0482 per day, so the amounts compare directly.
- Per hour. G0482 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 G0482, 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 G0482 rates differ between states
Published rates for G0482 run from $10.00 in Kansas to $298.11 in New Mexico, a 29.8x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $165.06 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.
- 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.
Timing matters too. 10 states set the current rate for G0482 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.
What managed-care plans pay for G0482
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For G0482, the public signal is the rule each state sets for its plans, recorded on each rate above.
In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 22 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 12 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (22 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 (8 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.
Units and billing for G0482
G0482 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.
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. Physician-fee-schedule codes are billed per service: one unit is one occurrence unless the code itself is defined by time or quantity.
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 G0482?
It depends on the state. Of the 42 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $165.06 per day. New Mexico pays the most ($298.11 per day) and Kansas the least ($10.00 per day).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for G0482?
New Mexico, at $298.11 per day, effective 2025-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for G0482?
Kansas, at $10.00 per day, effective 2016-01-01.
What unit is G0482 billed in?
All 42 states publish G0482 per day, so the amounts compare directly.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for G0482?
Not necessarily. In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 22 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 12 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.