A-Codes: Ambulance and Medical Supplies Billing

A-codes are HCPCS Level II codes in the range A0000–A9999. They cover a broad and heterogeneous set of services including ambulance transport, medical and surgical supplies, miscellaneous services, and administrative codes. Ambulance services use codes like A0425 for ground mileage and other A0xxx codes for specific transport types. Browse all A-codes by filtering the code browser to A.

Ambulance billing is particularly complex under Medicare. The level of service (BLS, ALS1, ALS2, specialty care transport) determines the base rate, and ground or air transport type determines the applicable code. Medicare pays ambulance claims under the Ambulance Fee Schedule, not the Physician Fee Schedule. Mileage codes like A0425 are billed per loaded mile in addition to the base rate.

Supply codes in the A section cover items like wound dressings, ostomy supplies, and miscellaneous medical supplies. These codes may be billed by home health agencies, DMEPOS suppliers, or physicians when the supply is provided during a service. Many supply codes have specific coverage criteria and may require documentation of medical necessity.

A-codes are updated quarterly along with the rest of HCPCS. New supply codes are added when new products receive coverage, and ambulance fee schedule amounts are updated annually. Check the quarterly changes page to stay current on A-code additions and deletions relevant to your billing practice.