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HCPCS A7048 · Level II · A code

A7048: Vacuum drainage collection unit and tubing kit, 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 A7048

Medicare payment
$58.86 to $61.06
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
DME supplier MUE
0
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI N
Items and Services packaged into APC rates
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS A7048, added in 2015, as "Vacuum drainage collection unit and tubing kit, including all supplies needed for collection unit change, for use with implanted catheter, each". DMEPOS fees for A7048, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $58.86 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $61.06 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $53.88, ceiling $71.85) in the October 2026 file. Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). No current LCD or billing article lists A7048; its HCPCS coverage code is C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). OPPS status indicator N: Items and Services packaged into APC rates. HCPCS record: BETOS D1F (prosthetic/orthotic devices); pricing indicator 38; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). Nearby codes: A7046, A7039, A7038, A7037.

A7048 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes A7048 as “Vacuum drainage collection unit and tubing kit, including all supplies needed for collection unit change, for use with implanted catheter, 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 A7048
FieldValue
Short descriptorVacuum drain bottle/tube kit
Added to HCPCS2015-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2015-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator38: DMEPOS orthotics, prosthetics, prosthetic devices and vision services (floors and ceilings)
BETOS categoryD1F: prosthetic/orthotic devices
Type of serviceP: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics

Medicare payment for A7048

DMEPOS fees for A7048, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $58.86 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $61.06 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $53.88, ceiling $71.85) 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 L (local Part B MAC), payment category PO (prosthetics and orthotics). 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 A7048 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none$53.88 / $71.85$58.86 (AZ, CA, CT…) to $61.06 (CO, MT, ND…)—AK $58.86, HI $58.86, PR $64.72, VI $64.72

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 A7048

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). The DME supplier MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for A7048 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: CMS Workgroup
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for A7048 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists A7048 in v323r0.

A7048 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 A7048 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for A7048

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists A7048. 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 A7048

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of A7048 exceed the DME supplier 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 A7048 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for A7048 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 A7048

What does HCPCS code A7048 describe?

"Vacuum drainage collection unit and tubing kit, including all supplies needed for collection unit change, for use with implanted catheter, each" (short descriptor "Vacuum drain bottle/tube kit"), in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational). Added 2015-01-01.

Is A7048 a CPT code?

No. A7048 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set.

What does Medicare pay for A7048?

DMEPOS fees for A7048, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $58.86 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $61.06 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $53.88, ceiling $71.85) in the October 2026 file.

How many units of A7048 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: CMS Workgroup); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). For the DME supplier 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 A7048?

No current LCD or billing article lists A7048; 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.