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HCPCS A9581 · Level II · Part B drug

HCPCS A9581: Injection, gadoxetate disodium, 1 ml

Reviewed by QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Last reviewed

Data effective
Data currency: ASP payment limits October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); MUE and NCCI edits 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B July 2026 (effective July 1, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (ASP, MUE, NCCI and OPPS quarterly updates).

Key facts for A9581

Billing unit
1 ML
Gadoxetate disodium inj
ASP payment limit
$14.47
October 2026; -1.9% vs July 2026
Practitioner MUE
20
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI N
NCCI exposure
no PTP pairs
Coverage articles
0
none list this code

TL;DR

HCPCS A9581 is the Level II code for Injection, gadoxetate disodium, 1 ml, billed per 1 ML. The Medicare Part B ASP payment limit for October 2026 is $14.47 per billing unit, down 1.9% from July 2026. The practitioner MUE allows up to 20 units per date of service (MAI 3). Under OPPS it carries status indicator N. A9581 is billed in units of 1 ML; the quantity administered, the NDC package and the units on the claim must reconcile, which is the check that prevents CARC 16 and 151 returns on this line. The ASP crosswalk maps 2 NDCs to it, sold as Gadoxetate Disodium, Eovist by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.. No current Billing and Coding Article lists A9581, so coverage follows the FDA label, compendia and any applicable NCD.

Medicare Part B payment limit (ASP)

CMS sets the Part B payment limit for A9581 at $14.47 per 1 ML for October 2026, derived from manufacturer average sales price plus 6%, compared with $14.752 in July 2026. Beneficiary coinsurance is 20%.

ASP payment limits for A9581
QuarterPayment limitPerCoinsurance
October 2026$14.471 ML20%
July 2026$14.7521 ML—
Source: CMS Medicare Part B Drug Payment Limit File. Commercial and Medicaid payers set their own rates.

NDC to HCPCS billing-unit conversion

The October 2026 ASP crosswalk maps 2 NDCs from 1 labeler to A9581. Report the NDC in the claim's drug segment and bill the number of A9581 units that equals the quantity administered divided by 1 ML; the last column gives units per full package.

NDCs that crosswalk to A9581
NDCDrug nameLabelerPackage sizeBilling units / package
50419-0320-05Gadoxetate DisodiumBayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.10 × 550
50419-0320-15EovistBayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.15 × 575

Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE)

CMS publishes 2 MUE values for A9581. For practitioners the limit is 20 units per date of service with adjudication indicator 3, a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation that the quantity was medically reasonable.

MUE values for A9581 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services203 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital203 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data

NCCI edits and add-on relationships

No active practitioner PTP pair lists A9581 as a column-1 or column-2 code in v323r0. Drug supply codes are rarely bundled; the administration codes billed with them are where PTP edits usually apply.

A9581 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Medicare coverage articles

No current Billing and Coding Article lists A9581 in its HCPCS table. Coverage then follows the drug's FDA label, compendia and any National Coverage Determination; check the Medicare Coverage Database before administering off-label.

Hospital outpatient (OPPS) status

In the July 2026 OPPS Addendum B, A9581 carries status indicator N. Status N means payment is packaged into the associated procedure and no separate OPPS payment is made.

Common denials for A9581 and how to prevent them

CARC 16 · M119

NDC missing, invalid or not matched to the HCPCS code

CARC 151 · N362

units billed exceed the MUE for the date of service

CARC 50 · N115

diagnosis not covered by the applicable coverage article or LCD

How QuickIntell checks A9581 before the claim leaves

QuickCode validates the NDC-to-unit conversion against the current ASP crosswalk, checks units against every published MUE setting and flags PTP and add-on conflicts on the same claim. QuickRCM routes CARC 16, 151 and 50 denials on drug lines with the matching coverage article attached so the appeal starts with evidence.

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Frequently asked questions — HCPCS A9581

What does HCPCS code A9581 describe?

A9581 is defined by CMS as "Injection, gadoxetate disodium, 1 ml". Each billing unit represents 1 ML, so the units reported on the claim must equal the dose administered divided by that unit.

What is the Medicare reimbursement for A9581 in October 2026?

The ASP-based payment limit is $14.47 per 1 ML, with 20% beneficiary coinsurance. Medicare Administrative Contractors apply this limit; commercial payers use their own fee schedules. The July 2026 limit was $14.752.

How many units of A9581 can be billed per day?

The practitioner Medically Unlikely Edit is 20 units per date of service with adjudication indicator 3 (3 Date of Service Edit: Clinical). MAI 3 edits can be appealed with documentation that the units were medically reasonable. CMS cites "Clinical: Data" as the rationale.

Which NDCs map to A9581?

The October 2026 ASP crosswalk lists 2 NDCs from 1 labeler: Gadoxetate Disodium (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.); Eovist (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.). For example NDC 50419-0320-05 is a 10 package equal to 50 billing units. The crosswalk's billing-units-per-package figure converts each package into A9581 units.

Does A9581 have NCCI bundling edits?

No active practitioner PTP pairs list A9581 as a column-1 or column-2 code in the v323r0 release. Unit limits (MUE) and medical-necessity coverage rules still apply.

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-01. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the Medicare Part B drug payment limit and NDC crosswalk files, NCCI MUE and add-on edit tables, aggregate PTP statistics, OPPS Addendum B and the Medicare Coverage Database. Payment limits are Medicare national amounts; commercial and Medicaid payers differ. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice.