HCPCS A4616: Oxygen Tubing, Per Foot

HCPCS Level II code A4616 represents oxygen tubing billed by the foot, a consumable supply used to connect oxygen sources to patient delivery devices. This code matters nationally because oxygen therapy is a common durable medical equipment (DME) need across multiple care settings, and per-foot billing affects supply costs, inventory management, and claims processing for home oxygen therapy.

The analysis covers major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the code's clinical context, common sites of service, and the payer landscape that governs coverage and billing practice. The publication outlines typical billing considerations for per-foot oxygen tubing, expected places of use (home and outpatient), and where to look for policy and coverage guidance.

This summary provides benchmarks and policy-focused information relevant to revenue cycle and compliance teams, DME suppliers, and clinical managers who oversee oxygen therapy programs. Data not available in the input will be explicitly noted in detail sections of the full publication.

Billing Code Overview

HCPCS Level II code A4616 describes tubing for oxygen delivery, billed per foot. The service type is oxygen delivery supplies, intended to provide tubing that connects oxygen sources (compressed gas cylinders or concentrators) to patient interfaces. The typical site of service is home or outpatient settings where patients receive long-term or supplemental oxygen therapy.

Data not available in the input.

Clinical Context

A home oxygen therapy patient with chronic hypoxemia requires replacement or extension of low-flow oxygen supply tubing. A typical scenario involves an adult with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or interstitial lung disease receiving durable medical equipment (DME) services from a home health company or DME supplier. The respiratory therapist or DME technician measures the distance from the oxygen concentrator or cylinder to the patient interface (nasal cannula or mask), cuts and supplies the required length of oxygen tubing billed per foot as A4616. Documentation includes the prescription for oxygen, liter flow rate, the measured length in feet, delivery/installation notes, and patient education on tubing use and safety. Typical site of service is the patient’s residence; occasional supply in an outpatient DME retail setting or hospital discharge planning is appropriate. Billing uses the unit of measure “per foot,” and the supplier documents number of feet provided, date of service, and linkage to the oxygen delivery order.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`NU`	New equipment	Use when the tubing is supplied as new DME to the beneficiary for initial issue.
`RR`

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207RH0000X`	Pulmonology	Pulmonologists prescribe long-term oxygen and coordinate DME needs.
`3336C0002X`	Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)	Respiratory therapists/RTs assess, measure, and fit oxygen tubing in the home.
`261QP2300X`	Home Health Agency	Home health nurses provide DME setup and patient education during home visits.
`2086S0128X`	Internal Medicine	Primary care physicians manage chronic respiratory diseases and order oxygen therapy.
`364S00000X`	Durable Medical Equipment Supplier	Supplier taxonomy for entities furnishing and billing `A4616`

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`J44.9`	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified	COPD patients frequently require long-term oxygen and associated tubing billed per foot.
`J96.01`	Acute respiratory failure with hypoxia	Patients recovering from hypoxic respiratory failure may need supplemental oxygen and tubing during discharge to home.
`J84.10`	Pulmonary fibrosis, unspecified	Interstitial lung disease patients often require home oxygen therapy and tubing supplies.
`E66.9`	Obesity, unspecified	Obesity hypoventilation and related hypoxemia can necessitate home oxygen therapy and tubing.
`I50.9`	Heart failure, unspecified	Chronic heart failure with associated hypoxemia may require oxygen supplementation and tubing.
`R09.02`	Hypoxemia	Direct indication for oxygen therapy and necessary tubing supply.
`Z99.81`	Dependence on supplemental oxygen	Administrative and clinical reason to supply and bill for oxygen tubing per foot.
`Z74.01`	Bed confinement status	Bed-bound patients often receive home oxygen with extended tubing lengths to accommodate positioning

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`94640`	Pressurized or non-pressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction or for sputum induction for diagnostic purposes (e.g., with nebulizer)	Often performed in pulmonary clinics alongside oxygen equipment checks; nebulizer treatments may use the same oxygen source and tubing setup.
`94664`	Demonstration and/or evaluation of patient utilization of an aerosol generator, nebulizer, metered dose inhaler or IPPB device	Patient education and device demonstration frequently accompany oxygen equipment delivery and tubing instruction.
`99070`	Supplies and materials (except spectacles), provided by the physician over and above those usually included with the office visit or procedure	Used when additional non-DME supplies are provided during a clinic visit, such as extra tubing segments not billed through DME channels.
`94002`	Ventilation assist and management, initiation of pressure or volume preset ventilators for assisted or controlled ventilation, hospital inpatient/observation or partial hospitalization (first day)	Applicable when transitioning patients from supplemental oxygen to ventilatory support where tubing and oxygen connections are adjusted as part of the workflow.
`99000`	Handling and/or conveyance of specimens for transfer from the office to a laboratory	Occasionally used by suppliers when returning faulty tubing to a manufacturer or lab for analysis; rarely applicable but included as related administrative code.

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Summary & Overview