HCPCS A6402: Sterile Gauze Pad, Small, Non-Adhesive - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

HCPCS A6402: Sterile Gauze Pad, Small, Non-Adhesive

HCPCS Level II code A6402 represents a sterile, non-impregnated gauze pad 16 square inches or smaller, supplied without an adhesive border and billed per dressing. This code captures a common consumable used in wound care and minor procedures across ambulatory, clinic, and home health settings, making it relevant to national supply utilization and billing practices. Key payers in the scope of this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of how A6402 is used clinically, the typical sites of service where it is billed, and the payer landscape addressed in the publication. The report outlines benchmarking elements such as common billing patterns and allowable charge considerations, summarizes notable policy or coding guidance affecting durable medical equipment and supplies, and situates the item in clinical context for wound management and minor procedures. Data limitations: Data not available in the input for payer-specific rates, taxonomies, and ICD-10 pairing details.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareA6402HCPCS Level IIwound caremedical supplygauze paddressingoutpatient carehome healthbilling codeprocedure supply

Billing Code Overview

HCPCS Level II code A6402 describes a sterile, non-impregnated gauze pad measuring 16 square inches or less, provided without an adhesive border, billed per dressing. The service type is wound care supply / dressing. Typical sites of service include outpatient clinics, physician offices, wound care centers, and home health settings where dressings are applied or supplied for patient wound management.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A patient presents to an outpatient wound clinic after sustaining a small laceration to the forearm during a household accident. The wound has been cleansed, hemostasis achieved, and the clinician applies a sterile, non‑impregnated gauze pad of 16 square inches or less to cover the laceration prior to securing with tape or a secondary dressing. Typical workflow: triage and brief history, wound assessment and cleansing, application of local hemostasis if needed, selection of an appropriately sized sterile gauze pad (A6402) for primary coverage, documentation of the dressing applied, and patient instructions for wound care and follow‑up. Typical sites of service include ambulatory clinic offices, urgent care centers, emergency departments for minor injuries, and skilled nursing facilities for routine dressing changes. The service is itemized per dressing applied and is commonly used for minor surgical incision coverage, laceration dressings, and routine wound care where a small sterile pad is indicated.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`25`	Data not available in the input.	Data not available in the input.
`26`

HCPCS A7038: Disposable Filter for Positive Airway Pressure Device

HCPCS-A4544-ELECTRODE-LOWER-EXTREMITY-NERVE-STIMULATOR-RESTLESS-LEGS

HCPCS Level II A4544: Electrode for External Lower Extremity Nerve Stimulator for Restless Legs Syndrome

HCPCS-A8004-SOFT-HELMET-INTERFACE-REPLACEMENT

HCPCS Level II A8004: Soft Interface for Helmet, Replacement Only

HCPCS-A6602-GRADIENT-COMPRESSION-FOAM-ROLL

HCPCS A6602: Gradient Compression Foam Roll, Per Linear Yard

HCPCS-A6519-GRADIENT-COMPRESSION-GARMENT-NIGHTTIME

HCPCS Level II A6519: Gradient Compression Garment, Nighttime Use

HCPCS-A5055-STOMA-CAP-STOMA-ACCESSORY

HCPCS Level II A5055: Stoma Cap

HCPCS-A7526-TRACHEOSTOMY-TUBE-COLLAR-HOLDER

HCPCS A7526: Tracheostomy Tube Collar/Holder

HCPCS-A4412-OSTOMY-POUCH-DRAINABLE-HIGH-OUTPUT-2-PIECE

HCPCS A4412: Ostomy Pouch, Drainable, High Output, Two-Piece System

HCPCS-A6526-GRADIENT-COMPRESSION-FULL-LEG-FOOT-NIGHTTIME

HCPCS A6526: Gradient Compression Garment, Full Leg and Foot, Nighttime Use

HCPCS-A4207-STERILE-2CC-SYRINGE-WITH-NEEDLE

HCPCS A4207: Syringe with Needle, Sterile 2 cc, Each

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`163W00000X`	Wound Care Specialist	Clinicians who specialize in wound management frequently apply and order sterile dressings.
`207Q00000X`	Family Medicine	Commonly provides initial wound assessment and dressing application in ambulatory settings.
`208D00000X`	Emergency Medicine	Applies dressings for acute minor wounds in emergency departments and urgent care.
`309A00000X`	Nursing (RN)	Registered nurses perform dressing changes and document supply use in clinics and inpatient settings.
`261QM0800X`	General Practice	Primary care clinicians who manage minor injuries and apply dressings.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S01.81XA`	Laceration without foreign body of other part of head, initial encounter	Lacerations are commonly covered with a small sterile gauze pad after cleansing and repair.
`S61.201A`	Unspecified open wound of right index finger, initial encounter	Small extremity wounds frequently receive a single sterile gauze dressing such as `A6402`.
`S51.811A`	Laceration without foreign body of right forearm, initial encounter	Forearm lacerations often are managed with primary dressings that include non‑impregnated sterile gauze pads.
`L98.4`	Non‑pressure chronic ulcer of skin	Smaller chronic ulcers or focal areas may be dressed with small sterile gauze pads as part of wound care.
`Z48.02`	Encounter for removal of sutures	Following suture removal, a small sterile gauze pad may be applied for protection and minor drainage control.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`12001`	Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities (including hands and feet); 2.5 cm or less	May be performed prior to application of a sterile gauze pad like `A6402` for post‑repair wound coverage.
`99070`	Supplies and materials (except spectacles), non‑covered items, used during the visit, provided by the physician (list separately in addition to code for evaluation and management service)	Often used to report supplies such as sterile gauze pads when payer policy allows supplies to be billed separately.
`97597`	Debridement (e.g., high‑pressure water jet, sharp wound debridement), open wound, selective debridement, first 20 sq cm or less	Performed for wound bed preparation before application of dressings like `A6402` in wound care workflows.
`11042`	Debridement, subcutaneous tissue (includes epidermis and dermis, if performed); first 20 sq cm or less	Surgical debridement that may precede dressing application and subsequent dressing supply charges.
`99213`	Office/outpatient visit, established patient, moderate complexity	Typical E/M visit during which a clinician assesses the wound and documents application of a sterile dressing such as `A6402`.

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