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Billing code J0687 · Pharmacy

J0687 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)

Injection, cefazolin sodium (wg critical care). Medicaid pays a median of $0.66 for J0687 across 37 states, from $0.50 in New Hampshire to $1.28 in Indiana.

Data as of Oct 5, 202637 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
37
National median
$0.66units vary by state
Lowest
$0.50New Hampshire
Highest
$1.28Indiana
Answer

What does Medicaid pay for J0687?

37 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for J0687. The national median is $0.66 (units differ between states). Indiana pays the most, $1.28 per unit, and New Hampshire the least, $0.50, a 2.6x spread.

State ranking

J0687 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest

One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 37 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1Indiana Source · since 2024-07-01$1.28unit—Plans must pay at least this—
2New Jersey Source · since 2025-01-01$1.21——Not classified—
3New Mexico Source · since 2025-01-01$1.11——Plans must pay at least this—
18Washington Source · since 2026-10-01$0.66——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
19Wisconsin Source · since 2026-10-01$0.66——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
20Kansas Source · since 2026-10-01$0.66——Plans must pay at least this—
36Arizona Source · since 2026-08-01$0.57——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
37New Hampshire Source · since 2024-07-01$0.50——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
See all 37 states for J0687 — start free

29 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
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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 J0687 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. No single unit is shared by 8 or more states for J0687, 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. 12 of the 37 states list more than one rate for J0687, 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 37 states, 1 publish J0687 per unit and 1 per 500 mg, and 35 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
  • Per hour. J0687 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 J0687, 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 J0687 rates differ between states

Published rates for J0687 run from $0.50 in New Hampshire to $1.28 in Indiana. The two publish it in different units (unit versus no unit printed), so part of that gap is the unit rather than the price. Half the states pay more than the median of $0.66 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. 32 states set the current rate for J0687 in 2026 or later. 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 J0687

What a plan pays for J0687 is negotiated privately, but the state decides how much room there is to negotiate. Here is how the rules break down across the 37 states.

In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 17 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 (17 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 (7 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 Indiana managed care.

Billing

Units and billing for J0687

J0687 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.

Drug codes are billed in units of the dose stated in the code, so a larger dose bills more units. Many states require the National Drug Code (NDC) on the claim alongside the billing code.

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 J0687?

It depends on the state. Of the 37 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $0.66. Indiana pays the most ($1.28 per unit) and New Hampshire the least ($0.50).

Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for J0687?

Indiana, at $1.28 per unit, effective 2024-07-01.

Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for J0687?

New Hampshire, at $0.50, effective 2024-07-01. It publishes the code in a different unit from Indiana, so compare per unit with care.

What unit is J0687 billed in?

Of the 37 states, 1 publish J0687 per unit and 1 per 500 mg, and 35 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).

Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for J0687?

Not necessarily. In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 17 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.