Summary & Overview
HCPCS A6454: Self-adherent Elastic Bandage, 3–5 Inch, Per Yard
HCPCS Level II code A6454 represents a self-adherent, elastic, non-knitted/non-woven bandage with a width of three to under five inches, billed per yard. This supply code is used when clinicians or suppliers provide elastic wrap material for compression, dressing retention, or limb support. Nationally, such supply codes matter because they affect outpatient wound care, post-operative care, and durable medical supply billing across multiple care settings.
Key payers covered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical use and typical sites of service for this bandage type, plus what to expect in payer coverage patterns and billing practice contexts. The publication outlines where benchmarks and policy updates typically apply for HCPCS supply codes, and offers clinical context for common use cases such as compression therapy, dressing stabilization, and ambulatory wound care.
The content provides practical reference material rather than clinical guidance: it summarizes the code definition, typical service line placement, common payer presence, and topics readers should review further — including documentation elements, billing frequency, and payer-specific rules. Data not provided in the input (such as specific payer rates, modifiers utilization by payer, taxonomies, and ICD-10 pairings) is noted as unavailable in the input.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code A6454 describes a self-adherent elastic bandage that is non-knitted/non-woven, with a width ≥ 3 inches and < 5 inches, billed per yard. The service type is supply of an elastic, self-adherent compression/wrap material intended for wound support, compression, or dressing retention. Typical site of service is ambulatory clinics, outpatient wound care centers, home health settings, and durable medical equipment/supply dispensing locations where supplies are provided or applied.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult presenting to an outpatient wound clinic or primary care office with a superficial lower-extremity soft tissue injury, venous stasis dermatitis with minor weeping, or a post-operative dressing change needing an elastic, self-adherent support bandage. The clinician (family medicine physician, wound care nurse, or podiatrist) assesses the wound or dressing, performs cleaning and dressing change, and applies a self-adherent elastic bandage in a width of at least three inches but less than five inches, cut and measured by the yard as needed for support or compression. The supply is documented on the encounter as A6454 with quantity recorded in yards. Typical workflow: evaluation and dressing change, selection of appropriate bandage width/length, application for light compression or securement of primary dressing, patient education on wear time and signs of impaired circulation, and documentation of supply code, quantity, and indication in the medical record.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When billing only the professional interpretation or service separate from technical component (rare for a supply code). |
52 |