Summary & Overview
HCPCS A6230: Large Sterile Saline-Impregnated Gauze Pad
HCPCS Level II code A6230 identifies a sterile, water- or normal saline-impregnated gauze pad greater than 48 square inches, without an adhesive border, billed per dressing. This code captures a commonly used wound-care supply for large wounds, surgical sites, or dressing changes that require substantial coverage. Nationally, accurate coding of large sterile dressings affects claims processing, supply utilization reporting, and aggregated spending on wound-care supplies.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and service settings, typical billing considerations tied to this supply item, and reference benchmarks where available. The publication summarizes payer coverage patterns and common modifiers used with supply codes, highlights coding nuances for sterile, impregnated dressings, and outlines areas where policy updates or payer edits commonly occur.
This report provides a practical reference for coding staff, compliance teams, and policy analysts seeking a national perspective on billing, documentation triggers, and common administrative considerations for A6230-level dressing supplies. Data not available in the input.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code A6230 describes a sterile, water- or normal saline-impregnated gauze pad larger than 48 square inches, without an adhesive border, billed per dressing. Service type: Dressing supply for wound care. Typical site of service: Outpatient clinics, wound care centers, home health visits, and other ambulatory settings where large sterile dressings are applied.
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient presenting to an outpatient wound clinic or emergency department with a moderate to large open wound after surgery, traumatic laceration, or pressure ulcer requires a sterile, saline‑impregnated gauze pad larger than 48 square inches to provide moisture, protect the wound bed, and manage exudate. The product A6230 is selected by the treating clinician (wound care nurse, emergency physician, or surgeon) when a non-adhesive, sterile, water- or normal saline–impregnated dressing of this size is needed for primary or secondary dressing. Clinical workflow: initial wound assessment and cleansing; application of appropriate topical agents as indicated; placement of the A6230 pad directly over the wound; securing with secondary dressings or bandaging; documentation of wound size, appearance, and dressing applied; and scheduling of dressing changes at appropriate intervals or patient education for home care. Typical sites of service include outpatient wound care clinics, hospital inpatient wards, emergency departments, and skilled nursing facilities. Patient examples include a post-operative abdominal incision with moderate serous drainage requiring large non-adhesive saline‑impregnated dressings, a stage III pressure ulcer on the sacrum with heavy exudate, or a traumatic large laceration on the thigh where adhesive borders would impede contouring and offloading.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 |