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HCPCS code J0881: Darbepoetin alfa, per 1 mcg, non-ESRD2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Darbepoetin alfa is reported for non-ESRD anemia treatment, including selected patients with chronic kidney disease or chemotherapy-related anemia.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare rate · J0881

Darbepoetin alfa, per 1 mcg, non-ESRD

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0
Total RVUs
0.00
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

—

Not priced in the facility setting.

See every locality for J0881 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What J0881 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What J0881 covers

Darbepoetin alfa is an injectable medicine that stimulates red blood cell production. Nephrology practices commonly use it for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in patients outside the ESRD-use category; oncology and hematology practices may use it for chemotherapy-related anemia. It may be administered subcutaneously or intravenously. The clinical setting and treatment indication help distinguish non-ESRD use from the separate ESRD code.

J0881 represents 1 microgram of darbepoetin alfa, so report the number of units that matches the administered dose in micrograms. CMS excludes this code from the physician fee schedule under status E. When Medicare covers the drug, it generally uses the Part B drug payment method based on CMS quarterly ASP drug pricing files; special Medicare coverage instructions apply.

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 J0881 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

J0881 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailableUnavailable
AlaskaUnavailableUnavailable
ArizonaUnavailableUnavailable
ArkansasUnavailableUnavailable
Atlanta, GAUnavailableUnavailable
Austin, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Bakersfield, CAUnavailableUnavailable
Baltimore area, MDUnavailableUnavailable
Beaumont, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Brazoria, TXUnavailableUnavailable

J0881 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
J0881 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the J0881 rate is calculated

Each of J0881’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.

How the rate is built · J0881

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.0000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$0.00

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for J0881

J0881 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.

Place of service · J0881

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

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J0881 isn’t priced in this setting.

J0881 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • J0881

    Darbepoetin alfa, per 1 mcg, non-ESRD0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J0882

    Darbepoetin alfa, ESRD on dialysis, per 1 mcg0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J0885

    Epoetin alfa, per 1,000 units0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J0888

    Epoetin beta, per 1 mcg0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

J0882Darbepoetin alfaESRD on dialysis, per 1 mcg
Both codes identify darbepoetin alfa, but J0881 is for non-ESRD use and J0882 is for ESRD use.
J0885Epoetin alfaPer 1,000 units
J0885 identifies epoetin alfa, not darbepoetin alfa. Select according to the drug administered.
J0888Epoetin betaPer 1 mcg
J0888 identifies epoetin beta for non-ESRD use. J0881 identifies darbepoetin alfa for non-ESRD use.

Codes related to J0881

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

Codes related to J0881
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
J0882Darbepoetin alfa, ESRD on dialysis, per 1 mcgDarbepoetin alfa sibling code for ESRD use.No office rate
Used instead
J0885Epoetin alfa, per 1,000 unitsIdentifies epoetin alfa, a different erythropoiesis-stimulating drug used in non-ESRD settings.No office rate
J0888Epoetin beta, per 1 mcgIdentifies epoetin beta, a different erythropoiesis-stimulating drug for non-ESRD use.No office rate

J0881 billing questions

When should J0881 be used instead of J0882?

J0881 identifies darbepoetin alfa for non-ESRD use. J0882 is the corresponding code for ESRD use.

How many units represent a dose?

Each unit represents 1 microgram. Report units to match the administered dose in micrograms.

Does J0881 specify subcutaneous versus intravenous administration?

No. Darbepoetin alfa may be administered subcutaneously or intravenously; J0881 represents the drug quantity in micrograms.

How does Medicare treat payment for J0881?

CMS excludes it from the physician fee schedule under status E. When covered, Medicare generally pays it as a Part B drug using quarterly ASP pricing files; special Medicare coverage instructions apply.

Which drug does J0881 identify?

J0881 identifies darbepoetin alfa for non-ESRD use, not epoetin alfa or epoetin beta.

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

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