J3070 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Injection, pentazocine, 30 mg. Medicaid pays a median of $108.39 for J3070 across 25 states, from $4.43 in New Jersey to $129.23 in Wyoming.
- States publishing
- 25
- National median
- $108.39units vary by state
- Lowest
- $4.43New Jersey
- Highest
- $129.23Wyoming
What does Medicaid pay for J3070?
25 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for J3070. The national median is $108.39 (units differ between states). Wyoming pays the most, $129.23, and New Jersey the least, $4.43, a 29.2x spread.
J3070 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 25 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 J3070, 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. 10 of the 25 states list more than one rate for J3070, 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. None of the 25 schedules prints a separate unit for J3070, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
- Per hour. J3070 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 J3070, 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 J3070 rates differ between states
Published rates for J3070 run from $4.43 in New Jersey to $129.23 in Wyoming, a 29.2x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $108.39 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in pharmacy rates:
- 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.
- 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.
Timing matters too. 3 states set the current rate for J3070 in 2026 or later, while 16 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 J3070
What a plan pays for J3070 is negotiated privately, but the state decides how much room there is to negotiate. Here is how the rules break down across the 25 states.
In 4 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 12 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 9 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (12 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 (4 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 Wyoming managed care.
Units and billing for J3070
J3070 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.
Frequently asked questions
What does Medicaid pay for J3070?
It depends on the state. Of the 25 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $108.39. Wyoming pays the most ($129.23) and New Jersey the least ($4.43).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for J3070?
Wyoming, at $129.23, effective 2021-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for J3070?
New Jersey, at $4.43, effective 2025-01-01.
What unit is J3070 billed in?
None of the 25 schedules prints a separate unit for J3070, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for J3070?
Not necessarily. In 4 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 12 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 9 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.