Q9968 — Injection, non-radioactive, non-contrast, visualization adjunct (e.g., methylene blue, isosulfan blue), 1 mg
Q9968 is a HCPCS Level II code for injection, non-radioactive, non-contrast, visualization adjunct (e.g., methylene blue, isosulfan blue), 1 mg. It belongs to the Temporary Codes section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Carrier judgment
Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
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
Want the dollar amount for your locality? The fee calculator applies your GPCI and the current conversion factor.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of Q9968 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 200 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: Data
- outpatient
- 200 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: Data
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for Q9968
- Long descriptor
- Injection, non-radioactive, non-contrast, visualization adjunct (e.g., methylene blue, isosulfan blue), 1 mg
- Short descriptor
- Visualization adjunct
- Added
- January 1, 2010
- BETOS
- I1E
- 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 Q9968
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If Q9968 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- Q9960High osmolar contrast material, 200-249 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9961High osmolar contrast material, 250-299 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9962High osmolar contrast material, 300-349 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9963High osmolar contrast material, 350-399 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9964High osmolar contrast material, 400 or greater mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9965Low osmolar contrast material, 100-199 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9966Low osmolar contrast material, 200-299 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9967Low osmolar contrast material, 300-399 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml
- Q9969Tc-99m from non-highly enriched uranium source, full cost recovery add-on, per study doseterminated
- Q9970Injection, ferric carboxymaltose, 1mgterminated
- Q9972Injection, epoetin beta, 1 microgram, (for esrd on dialysis)terminated
- Q9973Injection, epoetin beta, 1 microgram, (non-esrd use)terminated
- Q9974Injection, morphine sulfate, preservative-free for epidural or intrathecal use, 10 mgterminated
- Q9975Injection, factor viii fc fusion protein (recombinant), per iuterminated
- Q9976Injection, ferric pyrophosphate citrate solution, 0.1 mg of ironterminated
- Q9977Compounded drug, not otherwise classifiedterminated
Questions about Q9968
What is HCPCS code Q9968?
Q9968 is a HCPCS Level II code for injection, non-radioactive, non-contrast, visualization adjunct (e.g., methylene blue, isosulfan blue), 1 mg. It sits in the Temporary Codes section.
Does Medicare cover Q9968?
The CMS HCPCS file marks Q9968 as "Carrier judgment". Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
How is Q9968 paid under the physician fee schedule?
Q9968 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).