A-codes — Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies

Ambulance services, medical and surgical supplies, and miscellaneous administrative items billed primarily by suppliers and transportation providers.

A-codes are one of the broadest HCPCS Level II ranges. They cover ground and air ambulance transports (A0000-A0999), medical and surgical supplies (A4000-A8999), and administrative or investigational items (A9000-A9999). Most A-codes are billed by DME suppliers, ambulance providers, and outpatient facilities — not physicians. A-code pricing usually comes from the DMEPOS fee schedule, although ambulance codes are paid under the Ambulance Fee Schedule with separate origin/destination modifiers.

Common A-code billing pitfalls include using the wrong mileage code for ambulance transports (A0425 is per statute mile, ground), missing required diagnoses on supply claims, and confusing A4253 (blood glucose test strips) units (per 50 strips, not per strip).

Frequently-referenced A-codes:

• A0425 — Ground mileage, per statute mile
• A4253 — Blood glucose test strips, per 50
• A9270 — Non-covered item or service