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HCPCS A6533 · Level II · A code

A6533: Gradient compression stocking, thigh length, 18-30 mmhg, each, HCPCS Level II A code

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); PFS relative value file: RVU26D, released August 26, 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); DMEPOS fee schedule: DME26-D (October 2026) (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and DMEPOS fee schedule and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; RVU27A with the CY2027 PFS final rule, effective January 1, 2027 for the PFS relative value file.

Key facts for A6533

Medicare payment
$54.86
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
DME supplier MUE
6
MAI 2
OPPS status
SI A
Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS A6533, added in 2006, as "Gradient compression stocking, thigh length, 18-30 mmhg, each". A6533 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as lymphedema compression treatment items (LC): $54.86 in every contiguous state, October 2026. MUE limits for A6533: DME supplier 6 (MAI 2, CMS Policy). No current LCD or billing article lists A6533; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). OPPS status indicator A: Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system. HCPCS record: BETOS O1L (lymphedema compression treatment items); pricing indicator 40; type of service S (surgical dressings or other medical supplies). 26 other active codes open with "Gradient compression stocking"; related codes: A6532, A6534, A6531, A6530.

A6533 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes A6533 as “Gradient compression stocking, thigh length, 18-30 mmhg, each”. It sits in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational), listed with the other A codes.

HCPCS file attributes of A6533
FieldValue
Short descriptorGc stocking thighlngth 18-30
Added to HCPCS2006-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2024-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator40: DMEPOS lymphedema compression treatment items
BETOS categoryO1L: lymphedema compression treatment items
Type of serviceS: surgical dressings or other medical supplies

Medicare payment for A6533

A6533 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as lymphedema compression treatment items (LC): $54.86 in every contiguous state, October 2026. The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

Physician fee schedule (RVU26D)

Status X: statutory exclusion: not a physician service under the fee schedule. Global period XXX (global surgery concept does not apply); PC/TC indicator 9 (professional/technical concept does not apply).

DMEPOS fee schedule (DME26-D)

Jurisdiction D (DME MAC), payment category LC (lymphedema compression treatment items). Fees are set per state; AK, HI, PR and VI are not subject to the national ceiling and floor and are listed separately. A rural fee applies only in ZIP codes on the CMS rural ZIP list.

DMEPOS fees for A6533 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none—$54.86 (49 states)—AK $54.86, HI $54.86, PR $54.86, VI $54.86

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator A (Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for A6533

MUE limits for A6533: DME supplier 6 (MAI 2, CMS Policy). The DME supplier MUE is a date-of-service policy edit: units above the limit deny even when split across lines, and appeals rarely succeed.

MUE values for A6533 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
DME supplier62 Date of Service Edit: PolicyCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for A6533 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists A6533 in v323r0.

A6533 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check A6533 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for A6533

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists A6533. The HCPCS coverage code C means carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on A6533

CARC 50 · N115

the service is not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis on the claim

CARC 151 · N362

units of A6533 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 6 per date of service

CARC 4

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

CARC 16

the claim lacks information needed to adjudicate the line, such as an order, NPI or required modifier

Where QuickIntell fits for A6533 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for A6533 depend on, with human review of each case, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the CARC 50, 151 and modifier denials these items draw.

See QuickAuth for requirement checksSee QuickRCM for denial follow-upBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS A6533

What does HCPCS code A6533 describe?

"Gradient compression stocking, thigh length, 18-30 mmhg, each" (short descriptor "Gc stocking thighlngth 18-30"), in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational). Added 2006-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2024-01-01.

Is A6533 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains A6533 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. People do search "A6533 CPT code", and it goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for A6533?

A6533 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as lymphedema compression treatment items (LC): $54.86 in every contiguous state, October 2026.

How many units of A6533 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for A6533: DME supplier 6 (MAI 2, CMS Policy). For the DME supplier MUE (MAI 2), units above 6 deny for the whole day as a policy limit; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover A6533?

No current LCD or billing article lists A6533; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage).

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.