Eye injection cost per shot: aflibercept, ranibizumab and bevacizumab
A 2 mg Eylea (aflibercept) injection has a $1,444.50 Medicare drug payment limit in October to December 2026, so the 20 percent share is $288.90, and the injection line (CPT 67028) adds $114.52 in a Michigan office. One labeled amount of the nine eye drugs priced here runs from $131.92 to $2,327.22.
Prices only. No diagnosis or treatment advice, and nothing here compares how well one eye medicine works or says which one a person should receive. Medicare payment limits are not your bill. Confirm your price in writing before service: ask for the drug code, the number of units and the administration code.
Two priced lines make one eye injection
A claim for an eye injection of one of these drugs carries two priced lines that follow different rules. The drug line has a HCPCS code, a J-code or a Q-code, and a count of billing units. Medicare pays it at a national limit that CMS publishes every quarter. The administration line has a CPT code, 67028, whose descriptor in the fee schedule file is "Injection eye drug". The first line depends on which drug and how many units. The second depends on where the shot is given.
The drug limit is the same wherever the shot is given. The administration line is not. An office is paid under the physician fee schedule. A hospital outpatient department is paid a facility amount under the outpatient payment system, and the physician's own claim from that department is paid at a lower facility rate. For a person with Original Medicare, the Part B deductible and the 20 percent coinsurance apply to the lines. 42 CFR 414.904(h) says the drug payment amount is subject to the applicable deductible and coinsurance, and Medicare.gov gives the 2026 Part B deductible as $283 a year and the usual share as 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount once the deductible is paid.
Because the limit is per billing unit, the size of the unit decides the per-shot figure. Aflibercept under J0178 is priced per 1 mg, ranibizumab under J2778 and faricimab under J2777 per 0.1 mg, brolucizumab under J0179 per 1 mg, and the intravenous bevacizumab code J9035 per 10 mg. A reader who sees $26.384 beside J2778 and takes it for a per-milligram price would put a 0.5 mg amount at $13.19 instead of $131.92. The error runs the other way for J0178, whose $722.251 is per milligram, not per tenth of a milligram.
Which medicine is used, how often and in which eye are clinical decisions left to the treating doctor. The arithmetic takes the amount per injection from each product's FDA prescribing information, multiplies it by the Medicare limit, and then multiplies the result by 6 or 12 injections a year. Six and twelve are stated multiples chosen to show the arithmetic, not dosing schedules. The fee schedule amounts for 67028 are for Michigan Locality 01 (Detroit); the drug limits are national.
Payment limits for nine eye-drug codes
CMS publishes the Part B payment limit file each quarter. The October 2026 file covers October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, is dated 09/16/2026 and says in its first note that its ASP-based limits rest on 2Q26 average sales price data, a quarter that ended on June 30, three months before the effective quarter began. For a single-source drug the limit is 106 percent of the average sales price (42 CFR 414.904(a)(2)); a biosimilar's limit is built differently, as described below.
| HCPCS | Descriptor (October 2026 HCPCS file) | Billing unit | Limit per unit, Oct 2026 | Hospital outpatient status, APC | Code effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J0178 | Injection, aflibercept, 1 mg | 1 mg | $722.251 | K, 1420 | 2013-01-01 |
| J0177 | Injection, aflibercept hd, 1 mg | 1 mg | $290.902 | G, 0704 | 2024-04-01 |
| Q5147 | Injection, aflibercept-ayyh (pavblu), biosimilar, 1 mg | 1 mg | $763.376 | G, 2068 | 2025-04-01 |
| J2778 | Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | $26.384 | K, 9233 | 2008-01-01 |
| Q5124 | Injection, ranibizumab-nuna, biosimilar, (byooviz), 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | $249.493 | K, 9017 | 2023-01-01 |
| Q5128 | Injection, ranibizumab-eqrn (cimerli), biosimilar, 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | $81.130 | K, 9117 | 2023-04-01 |
| Q5168 | Injection, ranibizumab-leyk (nufymco), biosimilar, 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | $26.384 | K, 0975 | 2026-07-01 |
| J2777 | Injection, faricimab-svoa, 0.1 mg | 0.1 mg | $31.322 | K, 9496 | 2022-10-01 |
| J0179 | Injection, brolucizumab-dbll, 1 mg | 1 mg | $360.439 | K, 9340 | 2020-01-01 |
Sources: CMS October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File (file dated 09/16/2026); CMS October 2026 HCPCS alpha-numeric file (descriptors and effective dates); CMS OPPS October 2026 Addendum B (file dated 10/14/2026). Checked 2026-11-03. Medicare payment limits, not patient prices.
The payment limit file prints shorter descriptors than the HCPCS file, which is why J0178 appears there as "Aflibercept injection" and J0177 as "Inj, aflibercept hd, 1 mg". The HCPCS descriptors above are the ones to match against a quote. Q5168, the newest row, has a code effective date of July 1, 2026 and the file marks it "Added October 2026", so this is its first appearance in the payment limit file. The 20.000 coinsurance on all nine rows means none of them carries the reduced inflation-adjusted percentage that the same file prints for 84 other codes.
In a hospital outpatient department the drug rows are paid at the same per-unit amounts. Addendum B lists all nine with status K or G. Addendum D1 of the CY2026 final rule defines K as nonpass-through drugs and nonimplantable biologicals, including radiopharmaceuticals, and G as pass-through drugs and biologicals; both are paid under the outpatient system with a separate APC payment. The payment rate printed for each code equals the limit in the payment limit file, with one display difference: Q5168's rate is printed to two decimals, $26.38, where the limit file shows $26.384. The drug line therefore does not change with the setting. The administration line does.
From a per-unit limit to a per-shot line
The amount on a claim line is the limit times the number of units. The units come from the amount of drug given, divided by the billing unit in the descriptor. The table converts the amount on each product's FDA label into units and prices the result. The labels' version dates are in the Sources list.
| Product | HCPCS | Limit per unit | Labeled amount | Units | Drug line | 20 percent share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eylea | J0178 | $722.251 | 2 mg | 2 | $1,444.50 | $288.90 |
| Eylea HD | J0177 | $290.902 | 8 mg | 8 | $2,327.22 | $465.44 |
| Pavblu | Q5147 | $763.376 | 2 mg | 2 | $1,526.75 | $305.35 |
| Lucentis | J2778 | $26.384 | 0.5 mg | 5 | $131.92 | $26.38 |
| Byooviz | Q5124 | $249.493 | 0.5 mg | 5 | $1,247.47 | $249.49 |
| Cimerli | Q5128 | $81.130 | 0.5 mg | 5 | $405.65 | $81.13 |
| Nufymco | Q5168 | $26.384 | 0.5 mg | 5 | $131.92 | $26.38 |
| Vabysmo | J2777 | $31.322 | 6 mg | 60 | $1,879.32 | $375.86 |
| Beovu | J0179 | $360.439 | 6 mg | 6 | $2,162.63 | $432.53 |
Sources: CMS October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File; FDA prescribing information for each product (versions in Sources). Drug line is the limit times units, rounded to the cent half up; the 20 percent share is rounded to the cent. The 20 percent share is before the Part B deductible. Checked 2026-11-03.
Two rows deserve a second look. Vabysmo (J2777) is priced per 0.1 mg, so its 6 mg label amount is 60 units. A claim line with 60 units for one injection is correct arithmetic, not a keying error. Eylea HD (J0177) is priced per 1 mg and its 8 mg label amount is 8 units, which is why its drug line, $2,327.22, is the highest in the table even though its per-unit limit, $290.902, is well under J0178's $722.251. Per milligram the HD limit is lower; per injection it is higher, because the label amount is four times larger.
The order of the drug lines does not follow the order of the per-unit limits. Q5124 has a per-unit limit of $249.493, nearly ten times Lucentis's $26.384, yet because both are billed per 0.1 mg and both labels give 0.5 mg, the whole difference passes straight to the line: $1,247.47 against $131.92. Q5124 times 5 units comes to exactly $1,247.465, a half cent, so the table shows it as $1,247.47; the payment limit file does not say how CMS rounds a line, and half cents are rounded up here. The 20 percent share across the table runs from $26.38 to $465.44.
A label can list more than one amount. The Lucentis, Cimerli and Nufymco labels also list 0.3 mg, which is 3 units: 3 x $26.384 is $79.15 for J2778, and 3 x $81.130 is $243.39 for Q5128. The units on the claim should match what was actually given, and a quote should state them. Asking "how many units of which code" is a direct check on any quote before a first injection, because the drug line follows from it.
The administration line, CPT 67028
CPT 67028 is an "Injection eye drug" service with a 000 global period, so there is no follow-up window built into the fee. The CY2026 fee schedule file gives it 1.40 work RVUs, 1.91 practice expense RVUs in a nonfacility setting, 0.75 in a facility setting and 0.11 malpractice RVUs. Multiplying each by its Michigan Locality 01 index (1.000 work, 0.965 practice expense, 1.686 malpractice) and the $33.4009 conversion factor gives 3.42861 RVUs, or $114.52, in an office and 2.30921 RVUs, or $77.13, when the doctor's claim is for a service at a hospital or other facility.
| 67028 amount | Who is paid | Payment system and basis | Medicare amount | 20 percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | The doctor | PFS nonfacility, Michigan Locality 01 | $114.52 | $22.90 |
| Doctor's claim, hospital outpatient | The doctor | PFS facility, Michigan Locality 01 | $77.13 | $15.43 |
| Hospital line | The hospital | OPPS status S, APC 5694, national unadjusted | $337.46 | $67.50 |
| Both eyes, same day, office | The doctor | PFS nonfacility with bilateral indicator 1 (150 percent) | $171.78 | $34.36 |
Sources: CMS RVU26D (updated 08/26/2026), PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP and GPCI2026, conversion factor $33.4009; CMS OPPS October 2026 Addendum B (file dated 10/14/2026), national unadjusted rate before wage-index adjustment; the hospital 20 percent is the minimum unadjusted copayment printed in Addendum B. Checked 2026-11-03. The doctor's amount and the hospital's amount are separate layers and are not added.
The hospital line is a different payment system with its own number. Addendum B lists 67028 with status S, APC 5694 and a national unadjusted payment of $337.46. Addendum D1 defines S as a procedure or service not discounted when multiple, paid under the outpatient system with a separate APC payment. The minimum unadjusted copayment is printed as $67.50, one cent above 20 percent of the payment, $67.49; the table uses the printed figure. The amount is before the wage-index adjustment, so a given hospital's figure differs. Medicare.gov says an outpatient service in a hospital can cost more than the same service in a doctor's office, and for 67028 the hospital copayment alone, $67.50, is above the office share of $22.90. The doctor's own claim from the hospital department adds a further $15.43. A hospital-owned clinic can bill as a hospital department; the Part B drug coinsurance guide explains how off-campus departments are paid for drug administration and why a hospital infusion suite can land between the office and on-campus columns.
Two payment-policy indicators in the fee schedule file matter for eye injections. The multiple-procedure indicator for 67028 is 2, which means the standard reductions apply when it is reported on the same day as another procedure: 100 percent for the highest-ranked, 50 percent for the next ones. The bilateral indicator is 1. The RVU26D documentation says that where the code is billed with modifier 50, or reported twice on the same day by another means such as RT and LT, the payment is based on the lower of the total actual charge or 150 percent of the fee schedule amount for a single code. That is the last row of the table: $171.78 in the office for both eyes, not twice $114.52. The drug line follows the unit count instead: a claim for both eyes in one visit carries twice the units, so the drug line doubles.
The 67028 line is where the excess-charge rule lives on this claim. Section 30.3.1 of chapter 1 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual lists drugs and biologicals among the claims for which assignment is mandatory, so the Medicare allowed amount is payment in full for the drug line. A physician's own service, such as 67028, is different: a nonparticipating doctor who does not accept assignment can bill above the fee schedule amount, up to the limiting charge. The excess charges guide prices that ceiling and explains what Medigap does about it. Ask whether the office accepts assignment on the administration line; if the answer is yes, the Medicare allowed amount is payment in full for that line, and the 20 percent share, the deductible and any Medigap or plan coverage decide what is owed.
Office totals for one injection
In an office, the claim is the drug line plus the 67028 nonfacility line. The table adds them for each labeled amount. Coinsurance is applied to each line and the two shares are added, because that is how a claim is processed.
| Product | HCPCS and units | Drug line | 67028 office line | Allowed total | 20 percent of both lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eylea | J0178, 2 | $1,444.50 | $114.52 | $1,559.02 | $311.80 |
| Eylea HD | J0177, 8 | $2,327.22 | $114.52 | $2,441.74 | $488.34 |
| Pavblu | Q5147, 2 | $1,526.75 | $114.52 | $1,641.27 | $328.25 |
| Lucentis | J2778, 5 | $131.92 | $114.52 | $246.44 | $49.28 |
| Byooviz | Q5124, 5 | $1,247.47 | $114.52 | $1,361.99 | $272.39 |
| Cimerli | Q5128, 5 | $405.65 | $114.52 | $520.17 | $104.03 |
| Nufymco | Q5168, 5 | $131.92 | $114.52 | $246.44 | $49.28 |
| Vabysmo | J2777, 60 | $1,879.32 | $114.52 | $1,993.84 | $398.76 |
| Beovu | J0179, 6 | $2,162.63 | $114.52 | $2,277.15 | $455.43 |
Sources: CMS October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File; CMS RVU26D, Michigan Locality 01. Office setting, one eye, both lines paid at the Medicare allowed amount. Checked 2026-11-03. Medicare payment limits, not patient prices.
The administration line is the same $114.52 for every row, which makes it a bigger part of the picture for the lowest drug lines than for the highest. For Lucentis and Nufymco the drug line is $131.92 and the injection line is $114.52, so the 20 percent shares are $26.38 and $22.90, nearly equal. For Eylea HD the drug line is $2,327.22, and the injection line's share of $22.90 is a small addition to a drug share of $465.44. Anyone comparing quotes for two products should compare the drug lines and then confirm that the administration line is the same, because a quote that bundles the two hides which one moved.
The Part B deductible comes first. At $283 for 2026, a person who has paid nothing toward it yet pays the first $283 of Medicare-approved charges in full, and 20 percent of the rest. Against a first injection's allowed total of $246.44 (the Lucentis row) the deductible would absorb the whole claim; against $1,559.02 (the Eylea row) it would absorb $283 of it and leave $1,276.02 to carry 20 percent. Across a full year the deductible adds $226.40 to the sum of the 20 percent shares, because $283 is paid at 100 percent instead of 20. Other care earlier in the year may already have met it. A 2027 deductible had not been announced when these figures were checked on 2026-11-03, so the yearly arithmetic here is for 2026.
The hospital outpatient version changes only the administration piece. The drug share in the table is unchanged, the hospital line's copayment is $67.50, and the doctor's facility-rate claim has its own $15.43, against $22.90 for the office line. Set those next to each other when the same injection can be scheduled in either setting. The cortisone shot guide shows the same two-line pattern, an injection code beside a counted drug code, for joint injections, and the guide to Medicare outpatient procedure costs shows how the hospital copayment and the professional share stack on other services.
Six or twelve injections in a year
Yearly figures multiply the per-shot amounts by a stated count. The table uses the office setting, so each shot is the drug line plus the $114.52 administration line, and it applies the October 2026 limit to every injection, although the limit is replaced every quarter. The nine-quarter history below shows how far one code can move.
| Product | 6 shots: allowed | 6 shots: 20 percent | 12 shots: allowed | 12 shots: 20 percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eylea (J0178) | $9,354.12 | $1,870.80 | $18,708.24 | $3,741.60 |
| Eylea HD (J0177) | $14,650.44 | $2,930.04 | $29,300.88 | $5,860.08 |
| Pavblu (Q5147) | $9,847.62 | $1,969.50 | $19,695.24 | $3,939.00 |
| Lucentis (J2778) | $1,478.64 | $295.68 | $2,957.28 | $591.36 |
| Byooviz (Q5124) | $8,171.94 | $1,634.34 | $16,343.88 | $3,268.68 |
| Cimerli (Q5128) | $3,121.02 | $624.18 | $6,242.04 | $1,248.36 |
| Nufymco (Q5168) | $1,478.64 | $295.68 | $2,957.28 | $591.36 |
| Vabysmo (J2777) | $11,963.04 | $2,392.56 | $23,926.08 | $4,785.12 |
| Beovu (J0179) | $13,662.90 | $2,732.58 | $27,325.80 | $5,465.16 |
Sources: CMS October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File; CMS RVU26D, Michigan Locality 01; Medicare.gov, Medicare costs (2026). Office setting, one eye, the October 2026 limit applied to every injection, before the Part B deductible. Six and twelve are stated multiples, not schedules. Checked 2026-11-03.
The yearly 20 percent runs from $295.68 for six Lucentis-priced injections to $5,860.08 for twelve Eylea HD injections. For the Eylea row the six-injection allowed total is $9,354.12 and the share is $1,870.80; at twelve the share doubles to $3,741.60. If the deductible has not been met, add $226.40 to any of the share figures; if it was met by other care, add nothing. Nothing in the table is capped, because Medicare.gov states that there is no yearly limit on what a person with Original Medicare pays out of pocket unless the person has supplemental coverage such as a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Supplemental coverage is where the answer changes. A Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan changes who pays the 20 percent, and a Medicare Advantage plan sets its own copayments and its own yearly limit. The Part B drug coinsurance guide works through Medigap Plans K and L and the Medicare Advantage limits on a set of infusion drugs. The same mechanics apply to an eye-injection drug line, because it is a Part B drug line.
Nine quarters of payment limits
Each quarterly file replaces the one before. The three tables below set the October 2026 limit against the eight earlier files, as currently posted on the CMS page; several earlier files carry later revision dates in their names, and the figures are those in the posted versions. Each file's limits rest on ASP data from an earlier quarter, listed in the header row. A dash means the code has no row in that file.
| Code and product | October 2024 (2Q24) | January 2025 (3Q24) | April 2025 (4Q24) | July 2025 (1Q25) | October 2025 (2Q25) | January 2026 (3Q25) | April 2026 (4Q25) | July 2026 (1Q26) | October 2026 (2Q26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J0178 Eylea per 1 mg | 821.980 | 801.065 | 795.861 | 790.037 | 771.558 | 763.901 | 731.885 | 743.605 | 722.251 |
| Q5147 Pavblu per 1 mg | - | - | 795.861 | 869.084 | 859.363 | 866.203 | 821.396 | 803.255 | 763.376 |
| J2778 Lucentis per 0.1 mg | 137.136 | 123.979 | 90.414 | 91.112 | 86.384 | 65.443 | 67.853 | 51.090 | 26.384 |
| Q5124 Byooviz per 0.1 mg | 170.799 | 169.199 | 85.569 | 62.153 | 61.796 | 60.215 | 70.904 | 240.972 | 249.493 |
| Q5128 Cimerli per 0.1 mg | 201.011 | 168.744 | 146.761 | 86.513 | 86.156 | 83.340 | 83.477 | 82.528 | 81.130 |
| Q5168 Nufymco per 0.1 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26.384 |
| Code and product | October 2024 | January 2025 | April 2025 | July 2025 | October 2025 | January 2026 | April 2026 | July 2026 | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J0177 Eylea HD per 1 mg | 333.696 | 329.056 | 321.176 | 319.738 | 311.381 | 306.985 | 301.177 | 298.683 | 290.902 |
| J2777 Vabysmo per 0.1 mg | 34.247 | 35.246 | 34.722 | 34.478 | 33.877 | 32.866 | 32.556 | 32.381 | 31.322 |
| J0179 Beovu per 1 mg | 332.565 | 338.891 | 339.988 | 346.194 | 346.106 | 352.813 | 353.069 | 359.713 | 360.439 |
Sources: CMS Medicare Part B Payment Limit Files for October 2024, January 2025, April 2025, July 2025, October 2025, January 2026, April 2026, July 2026 and October 2026 (file names in Sources). Limits per billing unit, to three decimals. The "(2Q24)" labels are the ASP data quarters each file states in its first note. Checked 2026-11-03.
J2778, the reference product for ranibizumab, shows the largest drop relative to its October 2024 limit of any code in these tables. It was $137.136 per 0.1 mg in the October 2024 file and is $26.384 in October 2026. For a 0.5 mg labeled amount, that is a drug line of $685.68 falling to $131.92, and a 20 percent share of $137.14 falling to $26.38. The move between the July and October 2026 files alone is $24.706 per unit, or $123.53 on 5 units. J0178 fell from $821.980 to $722.251 per milligram over the same eight quarters, which takes a 2 mg drug line from $1,643.96 to $1,444.50. J0177 fell from $333.696 to $290.902 and J2777 from $34.247 to $31.322. J0179 went the other way, from $332.565 to $360.439.
Each file's header names the sales quarter behind it: the October 2026 limits rest on 2Q26 sales, the July 2026 limits on 1Q26, and so on back to 2Q24 for October 2024. A limit therefore reflects prices from a quarter that is already over when it takes effect. The slide is not even. J0178 rose from $731.885 in April 2026 to $743.605 in July before falling to $722.251, and J2778 rose from $65.443 in January 2026 to $67.853 in April before the July and October drops. For a person planning a year of injections, the per-shot figures in this guide are the October to December 2026 figures, and the January 2027 file replaces them.
A biosimilar limit above its reference
The October 2026 file shows something that runs against the expectation that a biosimilar costs less than the product it copies. Q5147 (Pavblu) is $763.376 per 1 mg, above J0178's $722.251, by $41.125 per unit and $82.25 on a 2 mg labeled amount. Q5124 (Byooviz) is $249.493 per 0.1 mg and Q5128 (Cimerli) is $81.130, against J2778's $26.384, which is $1,115.55 and $273.73 above the reference on a 0.5 mg labeled amount. Q5168 (Nufymco), new in this file, equals J2778 exactly at $26.384.
| Biosimilar | Reference | Biosimilar limit per unit | Reference limit per unit | Labeled amount, units | Biosimilar drug line | Reference drug line | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q5147 Pavblu | J0178 Eylea | $763.376 | $722.251 | 2 units | $1,526.75 | $1,444.50 | $82.25 |
| Q5124 Byooviz | J2778 Lucentis | $249.493 | $26.384 | 5 units | $1,247.47 | $131.92 | $1,115.55 |
| Q5128 Cimerli | J2778 Lucentis | $81.130 | $26.384 | 5 units | $405.65 | $131.92 | $273.73 |
| Q5168 Nufymco | J2778 Lucentis | $26.384 | $26.384 | 5 units | $131.92 | $131.92 | $0.00 |
Source: CMS October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File; labeled amounts from the FDA labels listed in Sources. Drug line before the 20 percent share. Checked 2026-11-03.
The payment rule explains the structure, not the gap. 42 CFR 414.904(j)(1) pays a biosimilar the sum of its own average sales price and 6 percent of the amount determined under section 1847A(b)(4) of the Act for the reference product. Paragraph (j)(2) raises the 6 percent to 8 percent for a qualifying biosimilar during its applicable five-year period. 42 CFR 414.902 defines a qualifying biosimilar as "a biosimilar biological product (as described in section 1847A(b)(1)(C) of the Act) with an average sales price (as described in section 1847A(b)(8)(A)(i) of the Act) less than the average sales price of the reference biological for a calendar quarter during the applicable 5-year period." So the 8 percent add-on is for a biosimilar whose own sales price is below the reference product's in that quarter.
CMS marks the add-on in the Notes column of the payment limit file with the words "8% of reference add-on applied". Set that flag against the direction of the limit, quarter by quarter, and the two agree every time. Across 9 biosimilar codes and 64 biosimilar-quarters in the nine files, the flag is present in exactly those quarters when the biosimilar's limit is below its reference product's limit, and absent when the limit is equal or above: 64 of 64. In the October 2026 file, 5 codes sit above their reference (Q5147, Q5124, Q5128, Q5126, Q5160), 1 equals it (Q5168), and 3 sit below (Q5107, Q5118, Q5129).
| Biosimilar | Reference | Quarters listed | Limit above reference | Limit equal | Limit below | Quarters with the 8 percent flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q5147 Pavblu | J0178 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Q5124 Byooviz | J2778 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Q5128 Cimerli | J2778 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Q5168 Nufymco | J2778 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Q5126 Alymsys | J9035 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Q5160 Jobevne | J9035 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Q5107 Mvasi | J9035 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Q5118 Zirabev | J9035 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Q5129 Vegzelma | J9035 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
Source: CMS Medicare Part B Payment Limit Files, October 2024 to October 2026 (the Notes column and the limit column in each file). A code is counted only in files where both it and its reference have a row. Checked 2026-11-03.
The dated history shows how the gaps arose. Q5147 first appears in the April 2025 file, marked "Added April 2025", at $795.861, exactly J0178's amount that quarter. By July 2025 it was $869.084 against J0178's $790.037, and the gap has been positive in every file since: $79.047 in July 2025, $87.805 in October 2025, a peak of $102.302 in January 2026, and $41.125 in October 2026. Q5128 sat above J2778 in October 2024 ($201.011 against $137.136), dipped just below it in July and October 2025, and has been above it since January 2026. Q5124 was above J2778 in the first two files, below it from April 2025 to January 2026, and above it again from April 2026, and between the April and July 2026 files its limit moved from $70.904 to $240.972, taking a 0.5 mg drug line from $354.52 to $1,204.86.
The files and rules cited here do not say why a biosimilar's own sales price runs above its reference product's. What the files do show is shared timing: the first note in each file ties its ASP-based limits to a single sales quarter, 2Q26 for October 2026, so a reference row and its biosimilar rows in the same file rest on the same quarter of data. They also show the reference rows moving. J2778 fell $110.752 per unit between the October 2024 and October 2026 files, while Q5124 rose $78.694 and Q5128 fell $119.881, more than the reference did and still ending above it. For aflibercept, J0178 fell $73.610 per unit between the April 2025 and October 2026 files and Q5147, which entered in April 2025, fell $32.485.
The entry amounts are a separate observation. 42 CFR 414.904(e)(4) covers an initial period, not to exceed a full calendar quarter, in which sales data are not sufficient to compute a sales price. For a biosimilar on or after July 1, 2024, paragraph (e)(4)(ii) sets the payment at the lesser of the wholesale-acquisition-cost-based amount or 106 percent of the amount determined under section 1847A(b)(1)(B) of the Act for the reference product, the same 106 percent basis as the reference product's own limit. Q5147 entered at J0178's amount in April 2025 and Q5168 entered at J2778's amount in October 2026, which is consistent with that cap. The file's note for Q5168 says only "Added October 2026", and the bevacizumab biosimilar Q5160 entered in July 2026 at $82.236 against J9035's $74.823, above its reference. The files do not state which rule set each entry amount, so entry at the reference amount is an observation about two codes, not a rule for all of them.
Bevacizumab: a vial code and an eye syringe
The Part B file prices J9035 (Injection, bevacizumab, 10 mg) at $75.492 per 10 mg. That is the billing unit of the manufactured intravenous product, and it is not an eye-injection price. Dividing it down to an eye-sized fraction would produce a figure that the files cited here do not support for the eye syringe. The three bevacizumab biosimilars with the 8 percent flag, Q5107 ($28.294), Q5118 ($25.939) and Q5129 ($21.139), are all below J9035 in the October 2026 file. Q5126 ($79.982) and Q5160 ($82.139) are above it, with no flag. The bevacizumab block of the history table follows.
| Code and product | October 2024 | January 2025 | April 2025 | July 2025 | October 2025 | January 2026 | April 2026 | July 2026 | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J9035 Avastin per 10 mg | 72.704 | 73.190 | 72.728 | 73.049 | 73.201 | 73.632 | 74.355 | 74.823 | 75.492 |
| Q5107 Mvasi per 10 mg | 26.585 | 28.727 | 29.824 | 28.848 | 27.862 | 23.840 | 23.735 | 24.533 | 28.294 |
| Q5118 Zirabev per 10 mg | 23.586 | 23.000 | 26.943 | 23.930 | 25.766 | 25.799 | 25.854 | 25.889 | 25.939 |
| Q5126 Alymsys per 10 mg | 48.702 | 48.788 | 46.054 | 42.600 | 37.818 | 33.012 | 51.589 | 79.944 | 79.982 |
| Q5129 Vegzelma per 10 mg | 56.824 | 52.001 | 48.080 | 43.619 | 39.964 | 38.158 | 34.654 | 23.647 | 21.139 |
| Q5160 Jobevne per 10 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 82.236 | 82.139 |
Sources: CMS Medicare Part B Payment Limit Files, October 2024 to October 2026. Limits per 10 mg, to three decimals. Q5160 has a code effective date of January 1, 2026 and first appears in the July 2026 file. These are billing units of intravenous products, not eye-injection prices. Checked 2026-11-03.
How the eye syringe is billed is a separate matter. Noridian's billing and coding article A53008, which since its revision effective November 6, 2025 covers its Jurisdictions E and F together, says bevacizumab is not packaged by its manufacturer in amounts suited to injection into the eye, and that physicians obtain single doses from compounding pharmacies. For compounded intravitreal bevacizumab Noridian requires HCPCS J7999, a code whose HCPCS descriptor is "Compounded drug, not otherwise classified", and it asks for "Intravitreal bevacizumab" and the milligram dose in item 19 of the paper claim. For J7999 it says to enter 1 unit for one eye or 2 if both eyes are treated in the same visit. That article governs Noridian's jurisdictions only; another contractor's article can differ.
J7999 has no row in the October 2026 payment limit file, and Addendum B lists it with status N, which Addendum D1 defines as packaged into payment for other services with no separate APC payment. This guide therefore prints no price for the J7999 line. Hospital claims are a different case. For Part A claims A53008 names a separate code, C9257, and Addendum B, the hospital outpatient payment file, lists C9257 (Injection, bevacizumab, 0.25 mg) with status K, which Addendum D1 defines as a nonpass-through drug paid separately under its APC (APC 1281). This guide prints no amount for it either: the drug line depends on how many units the claim reports, and the amount behind a compounded eye syringe is the one figure the payment limit file does not provide.
A direct Avastin-against-Eylea comparison therefore has no one-line answer from the CMS files. The Eylea side has a published drug line of $1,444.50 for the 2 mg labeled amount. The Avastin side has no payment limit in the October 2026 file for the compounded syringe, and the J9035 vial price belongs to a different product. A quote for the eye syringe should say which code it uses, how many units, and whether the drug line is priced by the contractor or by the office's own invoice; the payment limit file has no figure to check it against.
Reading a statement line by line
Five checks apply to an eye-injection statement or explanation of benefits.
- The code and the unit. Match the J-code or Q-code to the product named on the visit record, then match the units to the amount given. Five units of J2778 is 0.5 mg, two units of J0178 is 2 mg, and 60 units of J2777 is 6 mg. A units count that is ten times too high or too low can trace to reading a 0.1 mg unit as 1 mg, or the reverse.
- One 67028 per eye. Noridian's billing article calls for RT or LT on each 67028 line and modifier 50 when both eyes are treated. A single 67028 with two eyes' worth of drug units, or two full-price lines with no bilateral modifier, is worth a question.
- The setting. The same drug code appears in an office and a hospital outpatient department at the same per-unit amount. The administration copayment differs, $22.90 in the office against $67.50 at the hospital plus $15.43 on the doctor's claim.
- A compounded line. J7999 or C9257 on a bevacizumab line follows Noridian's billing article, and another contractor's article can differ. Ask for the unit price behind it.
- Assignment. Confirm that the doctor accepts assignment for the administration line. The drug line is assigned by rule.
The guide to reading an explanation of benefits covers the statement side, and checking an itemized bill for errors lists what to request when a line does not match. If a quote comes as one number, asking for the cash price by code and unit gives the same lines this guide uses, so the quote can be set against the Medicare anchor without guessing.
Eye injection cost: common questions
How much does one Eylea injection cost under Medicare?
For the drug, the October to December 2026 payment limit for J0178 is $722.251 per 1 mg, so a 2 mg injection is 2 units and $1,444.50, and the 20 percent share is $288.90. The administration line, CPT 67028, is $114.52 in a Michigan Locality 01 office, with $22.90 as the 20 percent share. If the $283 Part B deductible for 2026 is not yet met, it is paid first. These are Medicare payment limits, not a bill.
Why is a biosimilar's payment limit above the reference product's?
In the October 2026 file, Q5147 is $763.376 per 1 mg against $722.251 for J0178, and Q5124 and Q5128 are above J2778 at $249.493 and $81.130 per 0.1 mg against $26.384. The payment rule adds 6 percent of an amount set for the reference product (section 1847A(b)(4) of the Act) to the biosimilar's own average sales price, or 8 percent when the biosimilar's price is below the reference's. The CMS file and rules cited do not say why a biosimilar's sales price runs above its reference product's. They show that it does, in which quarters, and that the 8 percent flag appears only in quarters when the biosimilar's limit is below the reference limit.
What does Avastin cost for an eye injection compared with Eylea?
The payment limit file cannot answer that. J9035 is $75.492 per 10 mg, the intravenous product's billing unit. Noridian's billing article says compounded bevacizumab for the eye is billed with J7999, which has no row in the October 2026 payment limit file. The office or hospital has to name the code and the units it bills.
Is there a yearly cap on the 20 percent?
Not in Original Medicare. Medicare.gov says there is no yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket unless you have supplemental coverage such as a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan. The yearly figures here multiply a per-shot share by 6 or 12 and add nothing for a cap.
Is the 67028 line billed once per eye?
Each eye is billed on its own. Noridian's billing article requires modifier RT or LT on 67028 to show the eye treated and modifier 50 when both are treated. The fee schedule file gives 67028 a bilateral indicator of 1, which means 150 percent of the single-eye amount when both eyes are billed on the same day. In the Michigan Locality 01 office amount that is $171.78 for the administration line, against $114.52 for one eye. The drug units double as well.
Can the office add an excess charge to the drug line?
No. Section 30.3.1 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 1, lists drugs and biologicals among the claims for which assignment is mandatory. The 67028 line is a physician service, so a nonparticipating doctor who does not accept assignment can bill above the fee schedule amount up to the limiting charge.
Why does the limit for the same code change every quarter?
Payment limits are updated quarterly, and each file rests on average sales prices from an earlier quarter. The October 2026 file uses 2Q26 data. J2778 moved from $51.090 in July 2026 to $26.384 in October 2026.
Sources: payment limits, fee schedule and rules
- CMS, ASP Pricing Files: October 2026 Medicare Part B Payment Limit File (file dated 09/16/2026; effective October 1 through December 31, 2026; based on 2Q26 ASP data) and the earlier files in the history tables as currently posted: October 2024 (updated 052725), January 2025 (updated 120925), April 2025 (updated 022526), July 2025 (updated 022526), October 2025 (updated 082026), January 2026 (updated 091526), April 2026 (updated 091526) and July 2026 (updated 091526). The October 2026 file is the newest listed on the page. Checked 2026-11-03.
- CMS, OPPS October 2026 Addendum B (file dated 10/14/2026): status indicators, APCs, payment rates and minimum unadjusted copayments for the nine drug codes and 67028, and the status indicators for C9257 and J7999; and CY2026 OPPS final rule Addendum D1 (status indicator definitions for G, K, N and S). Checked 2026-11-03.
- CMS, HCPCS quarterly update, October 2026 alpha-numeric HCPCS file (dated 09/23/2026): long descriptors and code effective dates. Checked 2026-11-03.
- CMS, Physician Fee Schedule relative value file RVU26D (updated 08/26/2026): PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP, GPCI2026 for Michigan Locality 01, the $33.4009 conversion factor, and the file documentation for the multiple-procedure and bilateral indicators. RVU26D is the newest file on the index. Checked 2026-11-03.
- eCFR, 42 CFR 414.904 (paragraphs (a), (e)(4), (f), (h) and (j)) and 42 CFR 414.902 (qualifying biosimilar), version in effect October 28, 2026. Checked 2026-11-03.
- CMS, Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 1 (Rev. 13725, issued 04-10-26), section 30.3.1, mandatory assignment on carrier claims (section revision issued 01-11-24). Checked 2026-11-03.
- Medicare.gov, Medicare costs: 2026 Part B deductible of $283, 20 percent coinsurance, and no yearly out-of-pocket limit in Original Medicare. Checked 2026-11-03.
- Noridian Healthcare Solutions, Billing and Coding: Intraocular Bevacizumab (A53008), revision effective 11/06/2025, in the CMS Medicare Coverage Database. Checked 2026-11-03.
- FDA prescribing information via openFDA and DailyMed, labeled amount per injection: EYLEA (aflibercept) prescribing information, version 41, effective 2026-07-07; EYLEA HD (aflibercept) prescribing information, version 12, effective 2026-04-06; PAVBLU (aflibercept-ayyh) prescribing information, version 9, effective 2026-05-10; LUCENTIS (ranibizumab) prescribing information, version 27, effective 2025-11-21; BYOOVIZ (ranibizumab-nuna) prescribing information, version 1, effective 2025-11-26; CIMERLI (ranibizumab-eqrn) prescribing information, version 3, effective 2024-06-17; NUFYMCO (ranibizumab-leyk) prescribing information, DailyMed SPL version 2, published 2026-10-12; VABYSMO (faricimab-svoa) prescribing information, version 11, effective 2026-04-15; BEOVU (brolucizumab-dbll) prescribing information, DailyMed SPL version 17, published 2026-10-28. Checked 2026-11-03.
- Scope: the nine drug codes above are the eye-injection rows priced here. Other eye-injection products and other aflibercept products are not in the tables. J2779 (ranibizumab via intravitreal implant, Susvimo) is not priced. Medicare Advantage plan copayments and commercial insurance allowed amounts are not shown.
General billing information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Medicare payment limits and fee schedule amounts are not your bill: a plan's allowed amount, a hospital's charge and a doctor's cash price can all differ from them. Confirm your price in writing.
Before the first injection is scheduled
Three items let a quote be set against these tables: the HCPCS drug code with its units, the administration code, and whether the service is billed as an office or a hospital outpatient department.