J0462 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Injection, atropine sulfate. Medicaid pays a median of $0.13 for J0462 across 33 states, from $0.03 in Kansas to $4.56 in California.
- States publishing
- 33
- National median
- $0.13units vary by state
- Lowest
- $0.03Kansas
- Highest
- $4.56California
What does Medicaid pay for J0462?
33 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for J0462. The national median is $0.13 (units differ between states). California pays the most, $4.56, and Kansas the least, $0.03, a 152.0x spread.
J0462 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 33 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 J0462, 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. 11 of the 33 states list more than one rate for J0462, 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 33 states, 1 publish J0462 per unit and 1 per 001 mg, and 31 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. J0462 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 J0462, 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 J0462 rates differ between states
Published rates for J0462 run from $0.03 in Kansas to $4.56 in California, a 152.0x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $0.13 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in pharmacy rates:
- For children, many vaccines are supplied through the federal Vaccines for Children program, so the Medicaid payment can be for administration only.
- States differ in whether they pay a fixed fee, a percentage of a benchmark or invoice cost.
- Drugs given in a practice or clinic are commonly priced from a benchmark such as average sales price or wholesale acquisition cost, which moves every quarter.
Timing matters too. 30 states set the current rate for J0462 in 2026 or later. 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 J0462
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For J0462, the public signal is the rule each state sets for its plans, recorded on each rate above.
In 4 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 16 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 13 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (16 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.
- The state sets the plan rate (1 state). There is little to negotiate on price. Contracting is about network participation, authorization and billing terms.
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 California managed care.
Units and billing for J0462
J0462 is a HCPCS Level II drug code in the pharmacy line, billed mostly by practices and clinics that administer vaccines and drugs. J codes cover drugs that are not self-administered. One unit is the dose stated in the code, so a claim for a larger dose bills several units.
Many states require the National Drug Code (NDC) on the claim alongside the billing code. Drug codes are billed in units of the dose stated in the code, so a larger dose bills more units.
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 J0462?
It depends on the state. Of the 33 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $0.13. California pays the most ($4.56) and Kansas the least ($0.03).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for J0462?
California, at $4.56, effective 2026-10-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for J0462?
Kansas, at $0.03, effective 2025-10-01.
What unit is J0462 billed in?
Of the 33 states, 1 publish J0462 per unit and 1 per 001 mg, and 31 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for J0462?
Not necessarily. In 4 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 16 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 13 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.