Summary & Overview
HCPCS A6520: Gradient Compression Glove, Nighttime Use
HCPCS Level II code A6520 denotes a padded gradient compression glove intended for nighttime use, supplied as durable medical equipment. This code matters nationally because compression garments are common components of lymphedema management and post-operative care, and appropriate coding affects patient access to prescribed therapeutic devices and payer coverage determinations.
Key payers in the national landscape include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of how the code is described clinically, typical sites of service, and which payers are commonly involved in coverage decisions. The publication summarizes benchmark considerations, common billing modifiers and claim-line practices, and clinical context for when a nighttime padded compression glove is used.
The report provides practical reference material for billing and coding teams: how the item is categorized as durable medical equipment, the likely home-use setting, and connections to clinical indications such as lymphedema and post-operative swelling management. Where input data is incomplete, the publication notes: Data not available in the input. The focus is national policy and billing practice context rather than specific state regulations or individualized clinical recommendations.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code A6520 describes a gradient compression garment, glove, padded, for nighttime use, each. This item is a therapeutic compression glove designed for overnight wear to provide graduated compression to the hand and fingers, typically used to manage swelling, lymphedema, or other conditions requiring sustained compression during sleep.
Service type: Durable medical equipment / compression garment
Typical site of service: Home use / durable medical equipment supply
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult with chronic lymphedema of the hand or digits following breast cancer treatment or traumatic injury who is prescribed a padded gradient compression glove for nighttime use to reduce edema and prevent fibrosis. The clinical workflow begins in an outpatient specialty clinic (often physical medicine and rehabilitation, vascular medicine, lymphedema therapy, or oncology survivorship clinic) where the clinician documents persistent hand swelling, staging of lymphedema, and prior conservative measures (manual lymphatic drainage, daytime compression sleeve). A prescription for a nighttime padded gradient compression glove (A6520) is written specifying laterality and size. The durable medical equipment supplier verifies coverage, supplies the glove, and provides patient education on nighttime wear, skin inspection, and follow-up. Typical site of service is outpatient clinic or the patient’s home via a DME supplier. Follow-up visits with the prescribing clinician or certified lymphedema therapist assess response and need for replacement or adjustment.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | Use when the glove is for the left hand to indicate laterality |