CPT code 96409: Chemotherapy push, single or initial drug2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $104.54 for 96409 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $90.24–$146.28.

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

What 96409 covers

This service covers administration of an antineoplastic drug through venous access by a brief intravenous push, rather than by a timed infusion. It is commonly performed by oncology nursing staff in an office or outpatient cancer clinic. The code represents one drug administered by this method; the drug itself is generally reported separately when separately payable and supported by the record.

Select this code when the documented route and method are intravenous push and the service is for a single or initial drug. The medication administration record should identify the drug, dose, route, and administration method; document additional drugs and their sequence when applicable. An additional chemotherapy drug given by IV push may be reported with 96411. For Medicare, this is an incident-to service and is billed only when performed under physician supervision.

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 96409 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

96409 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 96409 rate is calculated

Each of 96409’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 96409

The CMS indicators that decide how 96409 is paid alongside other services.

96409 compared with similar codes

How to choose

96411IV chemotherapy pushEach additional drug

96409 represents the single or initial drug given by IV push. 96411 represents an additional chemotherapy drug administered by IV push.

96413Chemo IV infusionInitial drug, first hour

Choose 96409 for administration by IV push; choose 96413 when the drug is delivered by IV infusion over time.

96401Chemotherapy injectionSubcutaneous or intramuscular, nonhormonal

96401 is for chemotherapy given subcutaneously or intramuscularly. 96409 is for chemotherapy delivered through venous access by IV push.

Codes related to 96409

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