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HCPCS A6550 · Level II · A code

A6550: Wound care set, for negative pressure wound therapy electrical pump, 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); Medicare Coverage Database LCD export: MCD release October 8, 2026 (effective October 4, 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; weekly, every Thursday for the Medicare Coverage Database LCD export.

Key facts for A6550

Medicare payment
$31.08 to $31.92
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Practitioner MUE
0
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI N
Items and Services packaged into APC rates
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
1 / 0

TL;DR

A6550 is a Level II code from the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational), in use since 2004: "Wound care set, for negative pressure wound therapy electrical pump, includes all supplies and accessories". DMEPOS fees for A6550, a SU (supplies) item, run $31.08 in CO, ID, MT and 2 more to $31.92 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more, rural $33.70 in the October 2026 file. Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup). 1 active LCD lists A6550: L33821 (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Pumps). OPPS status indicator N: Items and Services packaged into APC rates. HCPCS record: BETOS D1E (other DME); pricing indicator 34; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). Nearby codes: A6552, A6553, A6545, A6556.

A6550 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes A6550 as “Wound care set, for negative pressure wound therapy electrical pump, includes all supplies and accessories”. It sits in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational), listed with the other A codes. Although searches often call it the "A6550 CPT code", A6550 is a HCPCS Level II code maintained by CMS, not an AMA CPT code; both go in the same procedure-code field on the claim.

HCPCS file attributes of A6550
FieldValue
Short descriptorNeg pres wound ther drsg set
Added to HCPCS2004-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2006-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator34: DMEPOS DME supplies (floors and ceilings)
BETOS categoryD1E: other DME
Type of serviceP: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics

Medicare payment for A6550

DMEPOS fees for A6550, a SU (supplies) item, run $31.08 in CO, ID, MT and 2 more to $31.92 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more, rural $33.70 in the October 2026 file. 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 SU (supplies). 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 A6550 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none—$31.08 (CO, ID, MT…) to $31.92 (IL, IN, MI…)$33.70 (49 states)AK $33.70, HI $33.70, PR $37.54, VI $33.70

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator N (Items and Services packaged into APC rates), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for A6550

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup). The practitioner MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for A6550 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: CMS Workgroup

The MUE lookup for A6550 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists A6550 in v323r0.

A6550 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 A6550 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for A6550

1 active Local Coverage Determination and 0 billing and coding articles list A6550. Each applies only in its contractor's jurisdiction, and the article carries the diagnosis codes that support the item or service.

Denials to expect on A6550

CARC 50 · N115

the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists A6550

CARC 151 · N362

units of A6550 exceed the practitioner MUE of 0 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 A6550 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for A6550 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 A6550

What does HCPCS code A6550 describe?

"Wound care set, for negative pressure wound therapy electrical pump, includes all supplies and accessories" (short descriptor "Neg pres wound ther drsg set"), in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational). Added 2004-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2006-01-01.

Is A6550 a CPT code?

No. A6550 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set. Searches for "A6550 CPT code" mean this Level II code.

What does Medicare pay for A6550?

DMEPOS fees for A6550, a SU (supplies) item, run $31.08 in CO, ID, MT and 2 more to $31.92 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more, rural $33.70 in the October 2026 file.

How many units of A6550 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup). For the practitioner MUE (MAI 3), units above 0 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover A6550?

Coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). 1 active LCD lists A6550: L33821 (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Pumps).

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.