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HCPCS J2820 · Level II · Part B drug

HCPCS J2820: Injection, sargramostim (gm-csf), 50 mcg

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 J2820

Billing unit
50 MCG
Sargramostim injection
ASP payment limit
$62.47
October 2026; -0.0% vs July 2026
Practitioner MUE
15
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI K
APC 0731
NCCI exposure
no PTP pairs
Coverage articles
1
4 states

TL;DR

HCPCS J2820 is the Level II code for Injection, sargramostim (gm-csf), 50 mcg, billed per 50 MCG. The Medicare Part B ASP payment limit for October 2026 is $62.47 per billing unit, down 0.0% from July 2026. The practitioner MUE allows up to 15 units per date of service (MAI 3). Under OPPS it carries status indicator K in APC 0731. J2820 is billed in units of 50 MCG; 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 1 NDC to it, sold as Leukine by Partner Therapeutics, Inc. 1 Medicare coverage article lists the code across 4 states, including .

Medicare Part B payment limit (ASP)

CMS sets the Part B payment limit for J2820 at $62.47 per 50 MCG for October 2026, derived from manufacturer average sales price plus 6%, compared with $62.474 in July 2026. Beneficiary coinsurance is 20%.

ASP payment limits for J2820
QuarterPayment limitPerCoinsurance
October 2026$62.4750 MCG20%
July 2026$62.47450 MCG—
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 1 NDC from 1 labeler to J2820. Report the NDC in the claim's drug segment and bill the number of J2820 units that equals the quantity administered divided by 50 MCG; the last column gives units per full package.

NDCs that crosswalk to J2820
NDCDrug nameLabelerPackage sizeBilling units / package
71837-5843-05LeukinePartner Therapeutics, Inc1 × 525

Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE)

CMS publishes 3 MUE values for J2820. For practitioners the limit is 15 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 J2820 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services153 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital103 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

NCCI edits and add-on relationships

No active practitioner PTP pair lists J2820 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.

J2820 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Medicare coverage articles

1 current Medicare Administrative Contractor article lists J2820 in their HCPCS tables, covering 4 states. Each article carries the covered and non-covered ICD-10 codes that medical-necessity denials (CARC 50) are adjudicated against.

Billing and Coding Articles listing J2820
ArticleTitleContractor(s)StatesRelated LCD
Billing and Coding: White Cell Colony Stimulating FactorsPalmetto GBANC SC VA WVL37176

Hospital outpatient (OPPS) status

In the July 2026 OPPS Addendum B, J2820 carries status indicator K and is assigned to APC 0731, with a published national unadjusted payment of $62.47. Status K means the drug is paid separately under OPPS at the ASP-based rate rather than packaged into the procedure.

Common denials for J2820 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 J2820 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.

Explore QuickCodeExplore QuickRCMBook a demo

Frequently asked questions — HCPCS J2820

What does HCPCS code J2820 describe?

J2820 is defined by CMS as "Injection, sargramostim (gm-csf), 50 mcg". Each billing unit represents 50 MCG, so the units reported on the claim must equal the dose administered divided by that unit.

What is the Medicare reimbursement for J2820 in October 2026?

The ASP-based payment limit is $62.47 per 50 MCG, with 20% beneficiary coinsurance. Medicare Administrative Contractors apply this limit; commercial payers use their own fee schedules. The July 2026 limit was $62.474.

How many units of J2820 can be billed per day?

The practitioner Medically Unlikely Edit is 15 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 J2820?

The October 2026 ASP crosswalk lists 1 NDC from 1 labeler: Leukine (Partner Therapeutics, Inc). For example NDC 71837-5843-05 is a 1 package equal to 25 billing units. The crosswalk's billing-units-per-package figure converts each package into J2820 units.

Does J2820 have NCCI bundling edits?

No active practitioner PTP pairs list J2820 as a column-1 or column-2 code in the v323r0 release. Unit limits (MUE) and medical-necessity coverage rules still apply.

Which Medicare coverage articles mention J2820?

1 current Billing and Coding Article in the Medicare Coverage Database list J2820, covering 4 states: (Billing and Coding: White Cell Colony Stimulating Factors).

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.