HCPCS code J0881: Darbepoetin alfa, per 1 mcg, non-ESRD2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Darbepoetin alfa is reported for non-ESRD anemia treatment, including selected patients with chronic kidney disease or chemotherapy-related anemia.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for J0881 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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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 in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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
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
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.
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
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