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HCPCS J2515 · Level II · Part B drug

J2515: pentobarbital sodium, HCPCS Level II J code

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS NDC-HCPCS crosswalk: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); ASC Addendum BB (covered ancillary services): October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update).

Key facts for J2515

Billing unit
50 MG
Pentobarbital sodium inj
OPPS payment rate
$20.309
no ASP limit; SI K, October 2026
Practitioner MUE
1
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI K
APC 1854
NCCI exposure
no PTP pairs
Coverage articles
0
none list this code

TL;DR

HCPCS J2515 is the Level II code for Injection, pentobarbital sodium, per 50 mg, billed per 50 MG. CMS publishes no ASP payment limit for it; hospital outpatient departments are paid separately under OPPS (status indicator K, $20.309 per billing unit in October 2026). The practitioner MUE allows up to 1 units per date of service (MAI 3). J2515 is billed in units of 50 MG; 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 OPPS crosswalk maps 4 NDCs to it, sold as Pentobarbital by Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Sagent Pharmaceuticals. No current Billing and Coding Article lists J2515, so coverage follows the FDA label, compendia and any applicable NCD.

Medicare payment: OPPS rate (no ASP limit)

J2515 does not appear in the October 2026 Part B ASP payment limit file. CMS pays it separately to hospital outpatient departments under OPPS with status indicator K in APC 1854, at a national unadjusted rate of $20.309 per 50 MG. Status K is a separately paid, non-pass-through drug or biological, including therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. In a physician office the Medicare contractor prices the drug, often from invoice; commercial and Medicaid payers set their own rates.

NDC to HCPCS billing-unit conversion

The October 2026 OPPS crosswalk maps 4 NDCs from 2 labelers to J2515. Report the NDC in the claim's drug segment and bill the number of J2515 units that equals the quantity administered divided by 50 MG; the last column gives units per full package.

NDCs that crosswalk to J2515
NDCDrug nameLabelerPackage sizeBilling units / package
24201-0010-20PentobarbitalHikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.20 × 120
24201-0010-50PentobarbitalHikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.50 × 150
25021-0676-20PentobarbitalSagent Pharmaceuticals20 × 120
25021-0676-50PentobarbitalSagent Pharmaceuticals50 × 150

Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE)

CMS publishes 3 MUE values for J2515. For practitioners the limit is 1 unit 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 J2515 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital83 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

MUE for J2515 in every setting opens the lookup with this code filled in, next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on relationships

No active practitioner PTP pair lists J2515 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.

The counts above are exposure, not answers for a specific claim. Check J2515 against another code to see whether a given pair bundles, which code is paid and whether a modifier can separate them.

J2515 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 J2515 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 October 2026 OPPS Addendum B, J2515 carries status indicator K and is assigned to APC 1854, with a published national unadjusted payment of $20.309. Status K means the drug is paid separately under OPPS rather than packaged into the procedure.

Ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment

In the October 2026 ASC Addendum BB (covered ancillary services), J2515 carries payment indicator K2, which CMS defines as "Drugs, biologicals, and radiopharmaceuticals paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on OPPS rate". The national ASC payment is $20.31 per 50 MG, paid only when the drug is furnished integral to a covered surgical procedure.

Common denials for J2515 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 J2515 before the claim leaves

QuickCode validates the NDC-to-unit conversion against the current OPPS NDC-HCPCS 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 J2515

What does HCPCS code J2515 describe?

J2515 is defined by CMS as "Injection, pentobarbital sodium, per 50 mg". Each billing unit represents 50 MG, so the units reported on the claim must equal the dose administered divided by that unit.

Is J2515 a CPT code?

No. J2515 is a HCPCS Level II code, the letter-plus-four-digit set CMS maintains for drugs such as pentobarbital sodium; CPT codes are five-character codes maintained by the AMA. On a Part B claim J2515 reports the drug itself in 50 mg units, and the administration is billed on its own line.

What does Medicare pay for J2515 in a hospital outpatient department?

J2515 has no Part B ASP limit; the October 2026 OPPS Addendum B pays it separately under status K, APC 1854, at $20.309 per 50 MG, and ASC Addendum BB gives it payment indicator K2 at $20.31.

How many units of J2515 can be billed per day?

The practitioner Medically Unlikely Edit is 1 units per date of service with adjudication indicator 3 (Date of Service Edit: Clinical). The facility outpatient MUE is 8. 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 J2515?

The October 2026 OPPS crosswalk lists 4 NDCs from 2 labelers: Pentobarbital (Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); Pentobarbital (Sagent Pharmaceuticals). For example NDC 24201-0010-20 (package size 20) equals 20 billing units of J2515.

Does J2515 have NCCI bundling edits?

No active practitioner PTP pairs list J2515 as a column-1 or column-2 code in the v323r0 release.

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

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, ASC Addendum BB and the Medicare Coverage Database. Payment limits and rates 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.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.