HCPCS code J8540: Oral dexamethasone, per 0.25 mg2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Reports oral dexamethasone by 0.25-mg unit when the drug is furnished as a Medicare-covered Part B drug.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for J8540 in Louisiana.
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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On this page 9 sections
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 in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Louisiana | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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
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
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J8540 isn’t priced in this setting.
J8540 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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