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HCPCS Q0496 · Level II · Q code

Q0496: Battery, other than lithium-ion, HCPCS Level II Q 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 Q0496

Medicare payment
$1,801.82 to $1,870.04
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
DME supplier MUE
0
MAI 3
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 Q0496, added in 2005, as "Battery, other than lithium-ion, for use with electric or electric/pneumatic ventricular assist device, replacement only". DMEPOS fees for Q0496, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $1,801.82 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $1,870.04 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $1,649.56, ceiling $2,199.41) in the October 2026 file. Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 8 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). No current LCD or billing article lists Q0496; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply). OPPS status indicator A: Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system. HCPCS record: BETOS D1F (prosthetic/orthotic devices); pricing indicator 38; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). 1 other active code opens with "Battery"; related codes: Q0506, Q0508, Q0163, Q0112.

Q0496 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes Q0496 as “Battery, other than lithium-ion, for use with electric or electric/pneumatic ventricular assist device, replacement only”. It sits in the Q section (temporary codes), listed with the other Q codes for services and supplies (non-drug).

HCPCS file attributes of Q0496
FieldValue
Short descriptorBattery elec/combo vad, rep
Added to HCPCS2005-10-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2013-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
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 Q0496

DMEPOS fees for Q0496, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $1,801.82 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $1,870.04 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $1,649.56, ceiling $2,199.41) 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 E: excluded from the physician fee schedule by regulation. 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 Q0496 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none$1,649.56 / $2,199.41$1,801.82 (AZ, CA, CT…) to $1,870.04 (CO, MT, ND…)—AK $1,801.82, HI $1,801.82, PR $1,982.00, VI $1,982.00

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 Q0496

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 8 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); 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 Q0496 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital83 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for Q0496 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists Q0496 in v323r0.

Q0496 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 Q0496 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for Q0496

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists Q0496. The HCPCS coverage code D means special coverage instructions apply, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on Q0496

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of Q0496 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 Q0496 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for Q0496 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 Q0496

What does HCPCS code Q0496 describe?

"Battery, other than lithium-ion, for use with electric or electric/pneumatic ventricular assist device, replacement only" (short descriptor "Battery elec/combo vad, rep"), in the Q section (temporary codes). Added 2005-10-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2013-01-01.

Is Q0496 a CPT code?

No. Q0496 is a CMS HCPCS Level II code; CPT codes are the AMA's five-character set.

What does Medicare pay for Q0496?

DMEPOS fees for Q0496, a PO (prosthetics and orthotics) item, run $1,801.82 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $1,870.04 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $1,649.56, ceiling $2,199.41) in the October 2026 file.

How many units of Q0496 can be billed per day?

Its 2026 Q4 MUEs per date of service: practitioner 1 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 8 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); 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 Q0496?

No current LCD or billing article lists Q0496; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply).

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.