CPT code 90480: COVID-19 vaccine administration, initial or only component2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 90480 in California.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 90480 covers

Code 90480 reports administration of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for its initial or only component. It describes the administration service, not the vaccine product. The clinician who administers the vaccine reports it during a vaccination visit. Use 90481 for each additional component when the vaccine has more than one component. Code 90480 is specific to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration; code 90471 is used for injectable immunizations outside this SARS-CoV-2-specific service.

Medicare assigns 90480 physician fee schedule status X because it is not a physician service under the Medicare statute, so the physician fee schedule never pays it. When covered, Medicare pays it under another fee schedule or payment system. Report one unit for the initial or only component administered; report additional components with 90481 when applicable. The vaccine product is separate from the administration service and is reported separately when required.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 90480 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 90480 rate is calculated

Each of 90480’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 90480

90480 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

90480 compared with similar codes

How to choose

90481SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administrationEach additional component

90480 reports the initial or only SARS-CoV-2 vaccine component; 90481 reports each additional component.

90471Immunization administrationFirst injectable vaccine

90480 is specific to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration. Code 90471 is used for injectable immunizations outside that service.

90460Vaccine administrationFirst or only vaccine component

90460 is for immunization administration with counseling for patients through age 18 and uses component-based reporting. Code 90480 is specific to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration.

90472Vaccine administrationEach additional vaccine

90472 reports an additional injectable vaccine administration when its primary administration code is reported; it does not report an additional SARS-CoV-2 vaccine component.

Codes related to 90480

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates