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Billing code Q9962 · Physician & professional

Q9962 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)

High osmolar contrast material. Medicaid pays a median of $0.18 for Q9962 across 16 states, from $0.05 in Kansas to $46.40 in Georgia.

Data as of Oct 5, 202616 statesEvery rate links to its official source

States publishing
16
National median
$0.18units vary by state
Lowest
$0.05Kansas
Highest
$46.40Georgia
Answer

What does Medicaid pay for Q9962?

16 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for Q9962. The national median is $0.18 (units differ between states). Georgia pays the most, $46.40, and Kansas the least, $0.05, a 928.0x spread.

State ranking

Q9962 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest

One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 16 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.

#StateMedicaid rateUnitPer hourManaged-care plans% of Medicare
1Georgia Source · since 2017-01-01$46.40——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
2Iowa Source · since 2013-07-01$8.86——Plans must pay at least this—
3Washington Source · since 2026-07-01$4.02——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
8Wisconsin Source · since 2008-07-01$0.18——Plans negotiate; applies out of network—
9Maryland Source · since 2026-01-01$0.18——Not classified—
10South Carolina Source · since 2011-04-08$0.18——Not classified—
15Idaho Source · since 2025-09-01$0.15——Not classified—
16Kansas Source · since 2009-07-01$0.05——Not classified—
See all 16 states for Q9962 — start free

8 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.

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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 Q9962 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 Q9962, 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. 4 of the 16 states list more than one rate for Q9962, 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 16 schedules prints a separate unit for Q9962, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
  • Per hour. Q9962 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 Q9962, 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 Q9962 rates differ between states

Published rates for Q9962 run from $0.05 in Kansas to $46.40 in Georgia, a 928.0x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $0.18 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in physician & professional rates:

  • Primary-care and pediatric add-ons, enhanced rates for certain specialties and targeted increases for access problems change individual codes without moving the rest of the schedule.
  • Each state sets its own physician conversion factor or fee for every code, and many update them on a state budget cycle rather than on Medicare's calendar.
  • Some states pay physician services as a percentage of the Medicare fee schedule; others keep a schedule of their own that may not have been rebased for years.

Timing matters too. 3 states set the current rate for Q9962 in 2026 or later, while 8 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.

Managed care

What managed-care plans pay for Q9962

No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for Q9962. 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 2 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 7 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 7 states is not classified yet.

  • Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (7 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 (2 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 Georgia managed care.

Billing

Units and billing for Q9962

Q9962 is a HCPCS Level II temporary code in the physician & professional line, billed mostly by physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other licensed practitioners. Q codes are temporary codes for drugs, biologicals, supplies and services. The unit depends on the code and is often a dose or an item.

Where a state publishes separate facility and non-facility amounts, the non-facility (office) amount is usually higher because the practice carries the overhead. Practitioners who are not physicians are often paid a reduced percentage of the published amount, so check the schedule for the reduction that applies to your provider type.

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 Q9962?

It depends on the state. Of the 16 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $0.18. Georgia pays the most ($46.40) and Kansas the least ($0.05).

Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for Q9962?

Georgia, at $46.40, effective 2017-01-01.

Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for Q9962?

Kansas, at $0.05, effective 2009-07-01.

What unit is Q9962 billed in?

None of the 16 schedules prints a separate unit for Q9962, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.

Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for Q9962?

Not necessarily. In 2 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 7 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 7 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.