Skip to main content
Call AIBook a demo
HCPCS A8002 · Level II · A code

A8002: Helmet, protective, soft, custom fabricated, includes all components and accessories, 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 A8002

Medicare payment
no DMEPOS fee
DMEPOS category IN, no ceiling or state fee
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
DME supplier MUE
0
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI Y
Non-implantable DME
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS A8002, added in 2007, as "Helmet, protective, soft, custom fabricated, includes all components and accessories". The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule lists A8002 in category IN (inexpensive and other routinely purchased items) without a ceiling, floor or state fee; its HCPCS pricing indicator is 45 (DMEPOS customized DME items). Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). A8002 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage) and any NCD. OPPS status indicator Y: Non-implantable DME. HCPCS record: BETOS D1E (other DME); pricing indicator 45; type of service A (used DME), P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics), R (rental of DME). 3 other active codes open with "Helmet"; related codes: A8001, A8003, A8000, A7048.

A8002 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes A8002 as “Helmet, protective, soft, custom fabricated, includes all components and accessories”. 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 A8002
FieldValue
Short descriptorSoft protect helmet custom
Added to HCPCS2007-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2007-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator45: DMEPOS customized DME items
BETOS categoryD1E: other DME
Type of serviceA: used DME; P: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics; R: rental of DME

Medicare payment for A8002

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule lists A8002 in category IN (inexpensive and other routinely purchased items) without a ceiling, floor or state fee; its HCPCS pricing indicator is 45 (DMEPOS customized DME items). 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 IN (inexpensive and other routinely purchased 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 A8002 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
NU (purchased, new)————
RR (rental)————
UE (purchased, used)————

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator Y (Non-implantable DME), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for A8002

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); 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 A8002 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for A8002 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists A8002 in v323r0.

A8002 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 A8002 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for A8002

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists A8002. 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 A8002

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of A8002 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 0 per date of service

CARC 4

the NU, RR, UE payment modifier is missing or does not match the item

CARC 16

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

For teams evaluating QuickIntell software

Where QuickIntell fits for A8002 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for A8002 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-up
Book a software demoAsk about a software workflow

Optional software evaluation, not payer support or help with an individual claim. For coverage or payment decisions, use the official sources on this page. Do not include patient information in a demo booking or inquiry.

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS A8002

What does HCPCS code A8002 describe?

"Helmet, protective, soft, custom fabricated, includes all components and accessories" (short descriptor "Soft protect helmet custom"), in the A section (transportation, medical and surgical supplies, administrative, miscellaneous and investigational). Added 2007-01-01.

Is A8002 a CPT code?

No. A8002 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set.

What does Medicare pay for A8002?

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule lists A8002 in category IN (inexpensive and other routinely purchased items) without a ceiling, floor or state fee; its HCPCS pricing indicator is 45 (DMEPOS customized DME items).

How many units of A8002 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); 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 A8002?

A8002 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage) and any NCD.

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.