L1260 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Addition to tlso, (low profile). Medicaid pays a median of $74.64 for L1260 across 50 states, from $35.35 in New York to $138.38 in Alaska.
- States publishing
- 50
- National median
- $74.64units vary by state
- Lowest
- $35.35New York
- Highest
- $138.38Alaska
What does Medicaid pay for L1260?
50 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for L1260. The national median is $74.64 (units differ between states). Alaska pays the most, $138.38, and New York the least, $35.35, a 3.9x spread.
L1260 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 50 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 L1260, 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. 17 of the 50 states list more than one rate for L1260, 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 50 states, 3 publish L1260 per unit, and 47 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. L1260 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 L1260, 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 L1260 rates differ between states
Published rates for L1260 run from $35.35 in New York to $138.38 in Alaska, a 3.9x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $74.64 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in equipment & supplies rates:
- Some items are priced individually from the manufacturer's price or the supplier's invoice, so fewer states publish a fixed fee.
- Many states set equipment and supply fees as a percentage of the Medicare DMEPOS fee schedule, at different percentages and from different years.
- A single code can carry separate purchase, rental and used-equipment amounts, and states publish different subsets of them.
Timing matters too. 28 states set the current rate for L1260 in 2026 or later, while 14 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 L1260
No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for L1260. 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 11 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 23 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 16 states is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (23 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 (9 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 (2 states). 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 Alaska managed care.
Units and billing for L1260
L1260 is a HCPCS Level II orthotic and prosthetic code in the equipment & supplies line, billed mostly by durable medical equipment suppliers, orthotists, prosthetists and pharmacies. L codes cover orthotic and prosthetic devices. Each is paid per device, and some are priced individually from the supplier's invoice.
Pricing modifiers decide which amount applies: NU for a new purchase, RR for a monthly rental and UE for used equipment. Units follow the code: per item, per pair, per box or per month of rental, so a per-unit comparison only holds when the states use the same unit.
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 L1260?
It depends on the state. Of the 50 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $74.64. Alaska pays the most ($138.38) and New York the least ($35.35).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for L1260?
Alaska, at $138.38, effective 2026-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for L1260?
New York, at $35.35, effective 2022-06-01.
What unit is L1260 billed in?
Of the 50 states, 3 publish L1260 per unit, and 47 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for L1260?
Not necessarily. In 11 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 23 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 16 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.