HCPCS code Q9962: Iodinated contrast, high osmolar, 300–349 mg/mL2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

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

What Q9962 covers

Q9962 identifies high-osmolar iodinated contrast material with an iodine concentration from 300 through 349 mg per milliliter. These agents are used in radiographic studies where iodine-based contrast helps make internal structures more visible, including blood vessels and organs. The contrast material is distinct from the imaging procedure itself. Imaging departments and other providers furnishing the contrast report the material according to the amount used.

CMS excludes Q9962 from the physician fee schedule by regulation under status E. When Medicare covers the item, payment is made under another payment method. CMS classifies it as a Part B drug, generally priced from its quarterly Average Sales Price drug files when covered; special Medicare coverage instructions apply. Each unit represents 1 mL of contrast material.

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 Q9962 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

Q9962 rates by state

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

How the Q9962 rate is calculated

Each of Q9962’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for Q9962

Q9962 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.

Q9962 compared with similar codes

How to choose

Q9961Iodinated contrast250–299 mg iodine/mL

Q9961 is for high-osmolar iodinated contrast at 250–299 mg iodine/mL. Q9962 applies at 300–349 mg/mL.

Q9963Iodinated contrast350–399 mg iodine/mL

Q9963 is for high-osmolar iodinated contrast at 350–399 mg iodine/mL, rather than Q9962’s 300–349 mg/mL range.

Q9967Iodinated contrast300–399 mg iodine/mL

Q9967 identifies low-osmolar contrast at 300–399 mg iodine/mL. Q9962 is for high-osmolar contrast at 300–349 mg iodine/mL.

Codes related to Q9962

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

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