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HCPCS code J8540: Oral dexamethasone, per 0.25 mg2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports oral dexamethasone by 0.25-mg unit when the drug is furnished as a Medicare-covered Part B drug.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare rate · J8540

Oral dexamethasone, per 0.25 mg

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 J8540 →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 J8540 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 J8540 covers

Oral dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid used to reduce inflammation and immune activity. In oncology care, it may be included in regimens to prevent or control treatment-related nausea. The code identifies the oral drug by dose unit, rather than a particular diagnosis. It is distinct from injectable dexamethasone products and from the Hemady-specific oral code J8541.

CMS assigns status E, excluding this code from the physician fee schedule by regulation. When Medicare covers the drug, payment is under another method. HCPCS pricing classifies it as a Part B drug, generally priced from CMS quarterly ASP drug pricing files when covered. Special Medicare coverage instructions apply. Each unit represents 0.25 mg, so a 1-mg dose is 4 units.

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 J8540 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

J8540 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

J8540 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
J8540 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 J8540 rate is calculated

Each of J8540’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 · J8540

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 J8540

J8540 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 · J8540

Which rate does Medicare pay?

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

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

J8540 isn’t priced in this setting.

J8540 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • J8540

    Oral dexamethasone, per 0.25 mg0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J8541

    Hemady dexamethasone, per 0.25 mg0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J1100

    Dexamethasone injection, per 1 mg0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • J7509

    Oral methylprednisolone, per 4 mg0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

J8541Hemady dexamethasonePer 0.25 mg
Use J8540 for oral dexamethasone represented by this code; J8541 identifies the Hemady product at 0.25 mg.
J1100Dexamethasone injectionPer 1 mg
J1100 is injectable dexamethasone sodium phosphate. J8540 represents the oral drug.
J7509Oral methylprednisolonePer 4 mg
J7509 represents oral prednisone, a different corticosteroid; it is not a dexamethasone unit code.

Codes related to J8540

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

Codes related to J8540
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
J8541Hemady dexamethasone, per 0.25 mgHemady oral dexamethasone at the same 0.25-mg strength.No office rate
Used instead
J1100Dexamethasone injection, per 1 mgInjectable dexamethasone sodium phosphate for situations requiring an injectable route.No office rate
J7509Oral methylprednisolone, per 4 mgOral prednisone, a different corticosteroid used for selected overlapping clinical needs.No office rate

J8540 billing questions

How many units represent a 1-mg dose?

Each unit represents 0.25 mg. A 1-mg dose is 4 units.

Does status E mean Medicare never covers this drug?

No. Status E excludes the code from the physician fee schedule; when Medicare covers the drug, payment is made under another method. Special Medicare coverage instructions apply.

How is J8540 different from J8541?

J8540 represents oral dexamethasone in 0.25-mg units. J8541 identifies the Hemady product at the same stated strength.

Is this the code for injectable dexamethasone?

No. J8540 is for the oral drug. J1100 represents injectable dexamethasone sodium phosphate.

What payment method applies when Medicare covers J8540?

CMS identifies it as a Part B drug, generally priced from the quarterly ASP drug pricing files when covered.

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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