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HCPCS Q5101 · Level II · Part B drug

HCPCS Q5101: Injection, filgrastim-sndz, biosimilar, (zarxio), 1 microgram

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 Q5101

Billing unit
1 MCG
Injection, zarxio
ASP payment limit
$0.338
October 2026; -4.3% vs July 2026
Practitioner MUE
1500
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI K
APC 1822
NCCI exposure
no PTP pairs
Coverage articles
1
4 states

TL;DR

HCPCS Q5101 is the Level II code for Injection, filgrastim-sndz, biosimilar, (zarxio), 1 microgram, billed per 1 MCG. The Medicare Part B ASP payment limit for October 2026 is $0.338 per billing unit, down 4.3% from July 2026. The practitioner MUE allows up to 1500 units per date of service (MAI 3). Under OPPS it carries status indicator K in APC 1822. As a biosimilar it has its own code and ASP; the reference product cannot be billed under this code, and the JZ or JW modifier rules for discarded amounts apply per single-dose vial. The ASP crosswalk maps 4 NDCs to it, sold as Zarxio by Sandoz 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 Q5101 at $0.338 per 1 MCG for October 2026, derived from manufacturer average sales price plus 6%, compared with $0.353 in July 2026. Beneficiary coinsurance is 20%.

ASP payment limits for Q5101
QuarterPayment limitPerCoinsurance
October 2026$0.3381 MCG20%
July 2026$0.3531 MCG—
CMS note: 8% of reference add-on applied

NDC to HCPCS billing-unit conversion

The October 2026 ASP crosswalk maps 4 NDCs from 1 labeler to Q5101. Report the NDC in the claim's drug segment and bill the number of Q5101 units that equals the quantity administered divided by 1 MCG; the last column gives units per full package.

NDCs that crosswalk to Q5101
NDCDrug nameLabelerPackage sizeBilling units / package
61314-0318-01ZarxioSandoz Inc.0.5 × 1300
61314-0318-10ZarxioSandoz Inc.0.5 × 103000
61314-0326-01ZarxioSandoz Inc.0.8 × 1480
61314-0326-10ZarxioSandoz Inc.0.8 × 104800

Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE)

CMS publishes 3 MUE values for Q5101. For practitioners the limit is 1500 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 Q5101 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services15003 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: CMS Workgroup
Facility outpatient hospital15003 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: CMS Workgroup
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalPublished Contractor Policy

NCCI edits and add-on relationships

No active practitioner PTP pair lists Q5101 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.

Q5101 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 Q5101 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 Q5101
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, Q5101 carries status indicator K and is assigned to APC 1822, with a published national unadjusted payment of $0.35. Status K means the drug is paid separately under OPPS at the ASP-based rate rather than packaged into the procedure.

Common denials for Q5101 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 Q5101 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 Q5101

What does HCPCS code Q5101 describe?

Q5101 is defined by CMS as "Injection, filgrastim-sndz, biosimilar, (zarxio), 1 microgram". Each billing unit represents 1 MCG, so the units reported on the claim must equal the dose administered divided by that unit.

What is the Medicare reimbursement for Q5101 in October 2026?

The ASP-based payment limit is $0.338 per 1 MCG, with 20% beneficiary coinsurance. Medicare Administrative Contractors apply this limit; commercial payers use their own fee schedules. The July 2026 limit was $0.353.

How many units of Q5101 can be billed per day?

The practitioner Medically Unlikely Edit is 1500 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: CMS Workgroup" as the rationale.

Which NDCs map to Q5101?

The October 2026 ASP crosswalk lists 4 NDCs from 1 labeler: Zarxio (Sandoz Inc.). For example NDC 61314-0318-01 is a 0.5 package equal to 300 billing units. The crosswalk's billing-units-per-package figure converts each package into Q5101 units.

Does Q5101 have NCCI bundling edits?

No active practitioner PTP pairs list Q5101 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 Q5101?

1 current Billing and Coding Article in the Medicare Coverage Database list Q5101, 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.