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HCPCS J8999 · Level II · J code

J8999: Prescription drug, oral, chemotherapeutic, NOS, 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: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); PFS relative value file: RVU26D, released August 26, 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); Medicare Coverage Database LCD export: MCD release October 8, 2026 (effective October 4, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; RVU27A with the CY2027 PFS final rule, effective January 1, 2027 for the PFS relative value file; weekly, every Thursday for the Medicare Coverage Database LCD export.

Key facts for J8999

Medicare payment
no PFS amount
PFS status E
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
Practitioner MUE
0
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI B
Non-allowed item or service for OPPS
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
1 / 0

TL;DR

HCPCS Level II J8999 reads "Prescription drug, oral, chemotherapeutic, nos" in the October 2026 file; it dates from 1995. The physician fee schedule lists J8999 with status E (excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation), so the PFS carries no national amount for it. Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). 1 active LCD lists J8999: L33826 (Oral Anticancer Drugs). OPPS status indicator B: Non-allowed item or service for OPPS. HCPCS record: BETOS O1D (chemotherapy); pricing indicator 51; type of service 1 (medical care), P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). 1 other active code opens with "Prescription drug"; related codes: J8499, J9202, J9218, J7999.

J8999 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes J8999 as “Prescription drug, oral, chemotherapeutic, nos”. It sits in the J section (drugs administered other than oral method and chemotherapy drugs), listed with the other J codes without an ASP payment limit.

HCPCS file attributes of J8999
FieldValue
Short descriptorOral prescription drug chemo
Added to HCPCS1995-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 1997-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
Pricing indicator51: drugs
BETOS categoryO1D: chemotherapy
Type of service1: medical care; P: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics

Medicare payment for J8999

The physician fee schedule lists J8999 with status E (excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation), so the PFS carries no national amount for it. The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

Physician fee schedule (RVU26D)

Status E: excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation. Global period XXX (global surgery concept does not apply); PC/TC indicator 9 (professional/technical concept does not apply).

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator B (Non-allowed item or service for OPPS), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for J8999

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). The practitioner MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for J8999 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data

The MUE lookup for J8999 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists J8999 in v323r0.

J8999 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check J8999 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for J8999

1 active Local Coverage Determination and 0 billing and coding articles list J8999. Each applies only in its contractor's jurisdiction, and the article carries the diagnosis codes that support the item or service.

Denials to expect on J8999

CARC 50 · N115

the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists J8999

CARC 151 · N362

units of J8999 exceed the practitioner MUE of 0 per date of service

CARC 4

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

CARC 16

the claim lacks the description, invoice or pricing detail a contractor-priced code needs

Where QuickIntell fits for J8999 claims

QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for J8999 before the claim leaves, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the denial follow-up when an edit or coverage policy is missed.

See QuickCode for coder reviewSee QuickRCM for denial follow-upBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS J8999

What does HCPCS code J8999 describe?

"Prescription drug, oral, chemotherapeutic, nos" (short descriptor "Oral prescription drug chemo"), in the J section (drugs administered other than oral method and chemotherapy drugs). Added 1995-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 1997-01-01.

Is J8999 a CPT code?

No. J8999 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set.

What does Medicare pay for J8999?

The physician fee schedule lists J8999 with status E (excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation), so the PFS carries no national amount for it.

How many units of J8999 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). For the practitioner MUE (MAI 3), units above 0 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover J8999?

Coverage code D (special coverage instructions apply). 1 active LCD lists J8999: L33826 (Oral Anticancer Drugs).

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 HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. 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.