COVID-19: New HCPCS Code for Remdesivir Antiviral Medication—Updated NIH Treatment Guidelines Panel Link

Following the recent statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel about therapies for the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created HCPCS code J0248 for VEKLURY™ (remdesivir) antiviral medication when administered in an outpatient setting. This code is available for use by all payers and is effective for dates of service on or after December 23, 2021:

• Long descriptor: Injection, remdesivir, 1 mg
• Short descriptor: Injection, remdesivir, 1 mg

Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) determine Medicare coverage when there’s no national coverage determination, including in cases when providers use Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for indications other than what’s on the approved label. The MACs consider the major drug compendia, authoritative medical literature, and accepted standards of medical practice to determine medical necessity when considering coverage. Therefore, the MACs will determine Medicare coverage for HCPCS code J0248 for VEKLURY™ (remdesivir) administered in an outpatient setting.

Your MAC will share coverage and claims processing information for J0248. Find your MAC's website if you have questions about coverage.

Visit the Monoclonal Antibody COVID-19 Infusion webpage for more information.