No, payment for waste from a multi-dose vial is not payable under Medicare. Providers/suppliers are expected to have the most appropriate sized vial on hand to minimize the amount of discarded drugs.

Although, discarded drugs or wastage may be payable by Medicare when:

• A provider or supplier must discard the remainder of a single use vial/package after administering a dose or quantity to a Medicare patient.
• The amount of discard/waste is documented in the medical record.

Effective 1/1/2017, providers and suppliers are required to report the JW modifier as a way to identify and be paid for unused drugs and biologicals. Visit Drugs and Biologicals – Coverage and Billing>Discarded Drugs/Wastage and JW, JZ Modifier for additional details.