Surgery center wage index (area factor): Medicaid rates by state

States publish surgery center wage index (area factor) under their own codes, modifiers and units. To compare them, this page picks the rate in each state that matches the same service and provider level.

• Provider level. States are compared at the same provider level wherever the schedule distinguishes one. Rates for other levels on file (any qualified provider) are kept separate, never mixed into this ranking.
• Unit. None of the 1 schedules prints a separate unit for their headline rate, so each amount is a flat payment for one service as the code defines it. The ranking uses the rate as published, so read the unit before comparing two states.
• Variants. 1 of the 1 states publish more than one rate for this service (by modifier, program, setting or provider type); the headline rate is the one that matches the comparison, and the workspace lists every variant.
• Depth. 17 rates for this service are on file across all states, versions and provider levels; this page shows one headline rate per state.

The highest-paying state, Arkansas, pays $0.8676; the lowest, Arkansas, pays $0.8676. 1 of the 1 states pay above the median of —. Common reasons rates for hospital outpatient services spread this way:

• States pay outpatient hospital care under different systems: grouped payments, a fee schedule or a percentage of charges.
• Many outpatient amounts are hospital-specific or adjusted by hospital type.

Billing notes

Outpatient services are billed per procedure, and some systems package lower-cost items into the payment for the main service.