S0620 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Routine ophthalmological examination including refraction. Medicaid pays a median of $67.97 for S0620 across 6 states, from $37.89 in Texas to $161.93 in Virginia.
- States publishing
- 6
- National median
- $67.97units vary by state
- Lowest
- $37.89Texas
- Highest
- $161.93Virginia
What does Medicaid pay for S0620?
6 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for S0620. The national median is $67.97 (units differ between states). Virginia pays the most, $161.93, and Texas the least, $37.89, a 4.3x spread.
S0620 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 6 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 S0620, 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. 3 of the 6 states list more than one rate for S0620, 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 6 schedules prints a separate unit for S0620, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
- Per hour. S0620 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 S0620, 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 S0620 rates differ between states
Published rates for S0620 run from $37.89 in Texas to $161.93 in Virginia, a 4.3x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $67.97 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in vision & hearing rates:
- Adult vision and hearing benefits are optional for states, so coverage, limits and fees vary widely.
- Some states buy eyeglasses through a single contracted laboratory, which changes what a provider is paid for the materials.
- Hearing aids and some lenses are priced at invoice or acquisition cost in some states and at a fixed fee in others.
Timing matters too. 1 state set the current rate for S0620 in 2026 or later, while 1 state 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 S0620
No managed-care plan publishes what it pays for S0620. 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 3 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 1 state is not classified yet.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (3 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 Virginia managed care.
Units and billing for S0620
S0620 is a HCPCS Level II temporary national code in the vision & hearing line, billed mostly by optometrists, opticians, audiologists and hearing aid dispensers. S codes were created for private payers and are widely used by Medicaid programs for services Medicare does not cover, such as home nursing and home infusion. Units range from 15 minutes to a day.
Vision and hearing materials are billed per item, per lens or per device, and hearing aids per ear (monaural or binaural).
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 S0620?
It depends on the state. Of the 6 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $67.97. Virginia pays the most ($161.93) and Texas the least ($37.89).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for S0620?
Virginia, at $161.93, effective 2022-07-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for S0620?
Texas, at $37.89, effective 2023-09-01.
What unit is S0620 billed in?
None of the 6 schedules prints a separate unit for S0620, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it.
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for S0620?
Not necessarily. In 2 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 3 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. The rule for the remaining 1 state is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.