J7611 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Albuterol, inhalation solution, fda-approved final product. Medicaid pays a median of $0.23 for J7611 across 32 states, from $0.11 in Indiana to $0.61 in Iowa.
- States publishing
- 32
- National median
- $0.23units vary by state
- Lowest
- $0.11Indiana
- Highest
- $0.61Iowa
What does Medicaid pay for J7611?
32 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for J7611. The national median is $0.23 (units differ between states). Iowa pays the most, $0.61, and Indiana the least, $0.11 per unit, a 5.5x spread.
J7611 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 32 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 J7611, 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. 8 of the 32 states list more than one rate for J7611, 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 32 states, 1 publish J7611 per 1 mg and 1 per unit, and 30 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. J7611 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 J7611, 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 J7611 rates differ between states
Published rates for J7611 run from $0.11 in Indiana to $0.61 in Iowa. The two publish it in different units (no unit printed versus unit), so part of that gap is the unit rather than the price. Half the states pay more than the median of $0.23 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in pharmacy rates:
- 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.
- For children, many vaccines are supplied through the federal Vaccines for Children program, so the Medicaid payment can be for administration only.
Timing matters too. 27 states set the current rate for J7611 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 J7611
No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for J7611. 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 6 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 10 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 (5 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 Iowa managed care.
Units and billing for J7611
J7611 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 J7611?
It depends on the state. Of the 32 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $0.23. Iowa pays the most ($0.61) and Indiana the least ($0.11 per unit).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for J7611?
Iowa, at $0.61, effective 2024-03-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for J7611?
Indiana, at $0.11 per unit, effective 2023-10-01. It publishes the code in a different unit from Iowa, so compare per unit with care.
What unit is J7611 billed in?
Of the 32 states, 1 publish J7611 per 1 mg and 1 per unit, and 30 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for J7611?
Not necessarily. In 6 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 10 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.