Summary & Overview

HCPCS A6413: Adhesive Bandage, First-Aid Type, Each

HCPCS Level II code A6413 denotes a single adhesive bandage, first-aid type, any size, billed per each item. As a common durable medical supply and over-the-counter wound care product, A6413 is used widely across outpatient and retail settings for minor wound protection and dressings. Nationally, this code matters because it supports standardized billing for frequently dispensed supplies, affecting supply-chain reimbursement, point-of-care cost transparency, and claims processing consistency.

Key payers considered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code’s clinical role and typical settings of use, plus an outline of payer coverage context. The publication highlights common billing practices, typical service lines where the code is reported, and where to expect this supply in clinical workflows. It also summarizes available benchmarks and policy considerations relevant to coding and reimbursement of single-use first-aid supplies.

This national-level summary provides clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts with the clinical context, payer landscape, and areas where further detail or local policy review may be required. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareA6413HCPCS Level IIadhesive bandagewound care supplyoutpatient suppliesmedical billingdurable medical supply

Billing Code Overview

HCPCS Level II code A6413 describes an adhesive bandage, first-aid type, any size, each. This code represents a single-use, over-the-counter style adhesive dressing intended for minor wound coverage, protection, and absorption.

Service type: First-aid wound care supply

Typical site of service: Retail pharmacy, clinic, urgent care, emergency department, and other outpatient settings where single-use wound supplies are dispensed or applied.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A patient presents to an ambulatory clinic, urgent care, emergency department, or school nurse clinic with a minor superficial skin injury such as a small cut, abrasion, or blister. After triage and wound assessment (including hemostasis and cleansing), the clinician selects an appropriately sized adhesive first-aid bandage to cover the wound and protect it from contamination. The procedure consists of applying a single-use adhesive bandage (A6413) to a clean, dry wound following basic wound care steps: control bleeding, irrigate with saline or antiseptic per facility protocol, apply topical antibiotic ointment if indicated, and place the adhesive bandage. The typical workflow includes documentation of the injury, wound location and size, materials applied, patient allergies, and aftercare instructions. Billing is for the disposable supply item — an individual adhesive bandage — often submitted with an encounter-level service such as an office visit or minor procedure when allowed by payer policy.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier, standard service	Use when no special circumstances alter billing or payment for the bandage.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use rarely; only if the overall encounter had substantially greater work beyond routine wound care and payer accepts modifier for supply charges.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Not typically applicable to adhesive bandage application; included only if encounter involved general anesthesia for unrelated procedure.
`26`	Professional component	Not applicable to this supply-only code; do not append for bandage supply.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service was partially reduced or not completed as planned but bandage was supplied.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when procedure was started but discontinued and a bandage was applied at termination.
`54`	Surgical care only	Not typically used for supply billing; applicable when global surgical package is split and supply billed separately per payer rules.
`55`	Postoperative management only	Use when only postoperative care was provided and bandage supplied outside global period rules.
`56`	Preoperative management only	Use when only preoperative management was provided and supply was furnished.
`62`	Two surgeons	Rarely applicable; use only when two surgeons are billing and payer allows separate supply reporting.
`NU`	New equipment	Use if bandage is part of new durable supply dispensed under a specific program that requires `NU`.
`PO`	Outpatient hospital/partial hospitalization	Use to indicate the place of service variant when required by payer for hospital outpatient supplies.
`RR`	Rental, DMEPOS	Not applicable for disposable bandage; included when differentiating from rented durable equipment.
`UE`	Items/Service furnished in connection with Medicare secondary payer (MSP)	Use when reporting items in MSP situations as required by payer rules.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207Q00000X	Family Medicine	Primary care clinicians commonly perform wound assessment and apply first-aid bandages.
363L00000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency clinicians and urgent care providers frequently provide and bill for single-use bandages.
207R00000X	Internal Medicine	Internists or hospitalists may supply bandages during inpatient or outpatient care.
206Q00000X	Pediatrics	Pediatricians commonly apply adhesive bandages in children and document supply use.
282N00000X	Nursing Services	Registered nurses and nurse practitioners often perform wound care and apply supplies.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S01.01XA`	Laceration without foreign body of scalp, initial encounter	Small lacerations commonly require cleaning and placement of an adhesive bandage.
`S30.0XXA`	Contusion of lower back, initial encounter	Superficial abrasions or contusions may be covered with a first-aid bandage for protection.
`S81.811A`	Laceration without foreign body of right lower leg, initial encounter	Limb lacerations often receive basic wound care and an adhesive bandage when suturing is not required.
`L98.4`	Non-pressure chronic ulcer of skin, not elsewhere classified	Small chronic wound dressings may use simple adhesive bandages for minor protection.
`S50.811A`	Laceration without foreign body of right forearm, initial encounter	Forearm superficial wounds are commonly managed with cleansing and an adhesive bandage.
`S00.83XA`	Abrasion of other part of head, initial encounter	Abrasions are frequently treated with topical care and an adhesive bandage as a protective dressing.
`T14.8XXA`	Other injury of unspecified body region, initial encounter	When a minor, unspecified injury is treated, a first-aid bandage may be applied as part of basic care.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99202`	Office/outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of a new patient, low complexity	Common encounter code when a new patient is seen for a minor wound and an adhesive bandage (`A6413`) is applied during the visit.
`99213`	Office/outpatient visit for an established patient, moderate complexity	Typical for follow-up or established visits where wound assessment and application of a first-aid bandage occur.
`12001`	Simple repair of superficial wounds of the scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities; 2.5 cm or less	If simple suturing or wound repair is performed, a bandage may be applied afterward; supplies may be billed per payer rules.
`95004`	Percutaneous tests with allergen extracts (skin testing) — (example unrelated)	Data not directly related; included only when other minor procedures occur concurrently — note: if unrelated, do not bill supply separately if bundled.
`99070`	Supplies and materials (except spectacles), provided by the physician over and above those usually included with the office visit or procedure	Often used when billing for supplies like adhesive bandages when payer requires a procedure-level supply code rather than the HCPCS supply code.