J3490 — Unclassified drugs
J3490 is a HCPCS Level II code for unclassified drugs. It belongs to the Drugs Administered Other Than Oral Method section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Special coverage instructions apply
There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Physician fee schedule statusE
Excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation. Payment, where it exists, comes from another fee schedule (drugs via ASP, supplies via DMEPOS, and so on).
Global period: XXX
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The CMS record for J3490
- Long descriptor
- Unclassified drugs
- Short descriptor
- Drugs unclassified injection
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- BETOS
- O1E
- Pricing indicator
- 51 — Other
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Drugs.
Codes adjacent to J3490
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If J3490 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- J3471Injection, hyaluronidase, ovine, preservative free, per 1 usp unit (up to 999 usp units)
- J3472Injection, hyaluronidase, ovine, preservative free, per 1000 usp units
- J3473Injection, hyaluronidase, recombinant, 1 usp unit
- J3475Injection, magnesium sulfate, per 500 mg
- J3480Injection, potassium chloride, per 2 meq
- J3485Injection, zidovudine, 10 mg
- J3486Injection, ziprasidone mesylate, 10 mg
- J3489Injection, zoledronic acid, 1 mg
- J3520Edetate disodium, per 150 mg
- J3530Nasal vaccine inhalation
- J3535Drug administered through a metered dose inhaler
- J3570Laetrile, amygdalin, vitamin b17
- J3590Unclassified biologics
- J3591Unclassified drug or biological used for esrd on dialysis
- J7030Infusion, normal saline solution , 1000 cc
- J7040Infusion, normal saline solution, sterile (500 ml = 1 unit)
Questions about J3490
What is HCPCS code J3490?
J3490 is a HCPCS Level II code for unclassified drugs. It sits in the Drugs Administered Other Than Oral Method section.
Does Medicare cover J3490?
The CMS HCPCS file marks J3490 as "Special coverage instructions apply". There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
How is J3490 paid under the physician fee schedule?
J3490 carries PFS status code E. Excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation. Payment, where it exists, comes from another fee schedule (drugs via ASP, supplies via DMEPOS, and so on).