FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

HCPCS code Q9961: Iodinated contrast, 250–299 mg iodine/mL2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico

Reports each milliliter of high-osmolar iodinated contrast in the 250–299 mg iodine/mL range used for diagnostic imaging.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality

CMS doesn’t publish a rate for Q9961 in New Mexico.

Separate payment rules applyOffice (non-facility)
Separate payment rules applyHospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · Q9961 nationwide

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

We’ll open Q9961 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in New Mexico
  2. What Q9961 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What Q9961 covers

Q9961 identifies high-osmolar iodinated contrast material with an iodine concentration from 250 through 299 mg per mL. Radiology departments and other imaging providers use contrast agents during diagnostic studies to make selected organs, vessels, or other structures more visible on radiographic images. The route depends on the specific product and examination; the code identifies the contrast material by concentration, not the imaging procedure or the route of administration.

CMS assigns this HCPCS Level II code physician fee schedule status E, so it is excluded from the physician fee schedule. When Medicare covers the item, payment is under another method; the HCPCS pricing method classifies it as a Part B drug, generally paid using CMS quarterly Average Sales Price drug pricing files. Special Medicare coverage instructions apply. The billing unit is 1 mL, so report units based on the volume represented by the claim and document the product, iodine concentration, and amount used.

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.

How New Mexico compares for Q9961

Q9961 in New Mexico vs other payment areas
  1. New Mexico · this pageUnavailable
  2. Los Angeles, CA · CaliforniaUnavailable
  3. Washington, DC area · District of ColumbiaUnavailable
  4. Miami, FL · FloridaUnavailable
  5. Chicago, IL · IllinoisUnavailable
  6. Manhattan, NY · New YorkUnavailable
  7. Alaska · AlaskaUnavailable

Other areas in New Mexico first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

Q9961 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama——
ArkansasArkansas——
ArizonaArizona——
Bakersfield, CACalifornia——
Chico, CACalifornia——
El Centro, CACalifornia——
Fresno, CACalifornia——
Hanford, CACalifornia——

Q9961 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
Q9961 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

See Q9961 in every payment locality

How the Q9961 rate is calculated

Each of Q9961’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 · Q9961

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 Q9961

Q9961 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 · Q9961

Which rate does Medicare pay?

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

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

Q9961 isn’t priced in this setting.

Codes related to Q9961

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

Codes related to Q9961
CodeHow it relatesOffice range, New Mexico
Same family
Q9960Iodinated contrast, high osmolar, 200–249 mg/mLHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast in the lower 200–249 mg/mL concentration range.No office rate
Q9962Iodinated contrast, high osmolar, 300–349 mg/mLHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast in the next 300–349 mg/mL concentration range.No office rate
Q9963Iodinated contrast, 350–399 mg iodine/mLHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast in the 350–399 mg/mL concentration range.No office rate
Q9964Iodinated contrast, high osmolar, 400+ mg/mLHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast at 400 mg/mL or greater.No office rate
Q9959High-osmolar contrast, 150–199 mg iodine/mlHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast in the lower 150–199 mg/mL concentration range.No office rate
Q9958High-osmolar contrast, up to 149 mg/mL iodineHigh-osmolar iodinated contrast at 149 mg/mL or less.No office rate

How Q9961 has changed in New Mexico

Q9961 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU26D
2026-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU26C
2026-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU26B
2026-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU26A
2025-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU25D
2025-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU25C
2025-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU25B
2025-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU25A
2024-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU24D
2024-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU24C
2024-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU24B
2024-03-09Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU24AR
2024-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU24A
2023-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU23D
2023-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU23C
2023-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU23B
2023-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU23A
2022-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU22D
2022-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU22C
2022-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU22B
2022-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU22A
2021-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU21D
2021-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU21C
2021-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU21B
2021-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU21A
2020-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU20D
2020-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU20C
2020-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU20B
2020-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU20A
2019-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU19D
2019-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU19C
2019-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU19B
2019-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU19A
2018-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU18D
2018-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU18C
2018-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU18B
2018-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU18AR1
2017-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU17D
2017-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU17C
2017-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU17B
2017-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU17A
2016-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU16D
2016-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU16C
2016-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU16B
2016-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU16A
2015-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU15D
2015-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU15C
2015-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU15B
2015-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU15A
2014-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU14D
2014-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU14C
2014-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU14B
2014-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU14A
2013-10-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU13D
2013-07-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU13C
2013-04-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU13B
2013-01-01Separate payment rules applySeparate payment rules applyRVU13AR

Price Q9961 for an earlier date of service

Where the New Mexico rate applies

New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Abeytas
  • Abiquiu
  • Acomita Lake
  • Adelino
  • Agua Fria
  • Alamillo
  • Alamo
  • Alamogordo

Browse all communities in New Mexico

Q9961 billing questions

How is Q9961 distinguished from Q9960 and Q9962?

Select the code that matches the contrast agent’s iodine concentration. Q9961 is for 250–299 mg/mL; Q9960 covers 200–249 mg/mL, and Q9962 covers 300–349 mg/mL.

What does one unit represent?

One unit represents 1 mL of the contrast material. Calculate units from the volume represented on the claim and retain documentation of the product and amount used.

Does Q9961 pay under the physician fee schedule?

No. CMS assigns status E, excluding it from the physician fee schedule; when Medicare covers it, payment is under another method. CMS classifies it as a Part B drug, generally priced using quarterly ASP drug pricing files.

What Medicare coverage instruction applies?

Special Medicare coverage instructions apply to Q9961.

Should Q9961 be used for low-osmolar contrast?

No. Q9961 identifies high-osmolar material in the 250–299 mg iodine/mL range; Q9966 identifies low-osmolar material in that same concentration range.

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

Did this answer your question about what Q9961 pays in New Mexico?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put Q9961 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist