HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

HCPCS Level II code S0208 describes a hospital-based paramedic intercept providing advanced life support (ALS) care on a non-transport basis; the service is an ALS paramedic intercept in which a paramedic meets and provides emergency advanced interventions while the patient remains at or is returned to the hospital or another facility (non-transport).

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HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for hcpcs S0208 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing S0208 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old man with sudden onset chest pain and hypotension at a community hospital presents to the emergency department. The receiving hospital lacks on-site paramedic ALS staffing for interfacility critical care; the emergency physician requests a hospital-based paramedic intercept ALS team to provide advanced cardiac life support and advanced airway management prior to transfer. A staffed paramedic team arrives, provides medication administration (e.g., IV antiarrhythmics), advanced airway placement, continuous cardiac monitoring, and clinical stabilization at the sending facility without performing patient transport. Documentation includes time of intercept, clinical interventions, medications and doses, patient response, destination receiving facility, and reason for non-transport. Billing is submitted using S0208 for a hospital-based paramedic intercept ALS service (non-voluntary), non-transport.

Patient workflow:

Emergency physician identifies need for ALS-level interventions beyond current ED capabilities.
Hospital-based paramedic intercept team is dispatched to the sending facility to augment care.
Paramedics perform assessment, establish/secure airway, initiate or adjust IV/IO access, administer medications per protocol, and provide continuous monitoring.
Paramedics hand off to sending facility staff or ambulatory transport crew if subsequent transport is arranged; if no transport occurs, paramedic documents non-transport rationale and completes intercept report.
Billing for the intercept service uses S0208 with appropriate modifiers reflecting unusual circumstances, staffing, or payer requirements.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99223`	Initial hospital care, typically 70 minutes or more, for a patient requiring high complexity decision making	May be reported by receiving hospital physician documenting initial evaluation when the paramedic intercept provides pre-transfer stabilization prior to admission.
`94002`	Ventilation assist and management, initiation of mechanical ventilation, hospital inpatient/observation or emergency department, initial day	Relevant when paramedics assist with or initiate mechanical ventilation during the intercept; documentation must support ventilator management time and tasks.
`31500`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure	Performed by ALS paramedic under protocol or physician direction during intercept for airway control; documentation should include attempts and success.
`93010`	Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with interpretation and report	Continuous or serial ECG monitoring and documentation performed during intercept may support clinical care and facility billing of ECG services.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Relevant when paramedic obtains blood samples for immediate testing prior to transport or handoff; reported by facility or lab depending on payer rules.

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
80	CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for…	- Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
367A00000X	Advanced Practice Midwife	Advanced practice midwifery encompasses the independent provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; sexual and reproduc…
207LP3000X	Pediatric Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist who has had additional skill and experience in and is primarily concerned with the anesthesia, sedation, and pain management needs…
163WD1100X	Peritoneal Dialysis Registered Nurse	Nursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse
261QA1903X	Ambulatory Surgical Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
261QP3300X	Pain Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
207RP1002X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Internal Medicine)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…
251B00000X	Case Management Agency	An organization that is responsible for providing case management services. The agency provides services which assist an individual in gaining access…

HCPCS Level II S2152: Solid Organ Procurement and Transplantation

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S2266-INDUCED-ABORTION-29-TO-31-WEEKS

HCPCS Level II S2266: Induced Abortion, 29 to 31 Weeks

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S3630-EOSINOPHIL-COUNT-BLOOD-DIRECT

HCPCS Level II S3630: Eosinophil Count, Blood, Direct

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S4017-INCOMPLETE-ART-CYCLE-CANCELLED-PRIOR-TO-STIMULATION

HCPCS Level II S4017: Incomplete Cycle — Cancelled Prior to Stimulation

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8055-ULTRASOUND-GUIDANCE-MULTIFETAL-REDUCTION-TC

HCPCS Level II S8055: Ultrasound Guidance for Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8940-EQUESTRIAN-HIPPOTHERAPY-PER-SESSION

HCPCS Level II S8940: Equestrian/Hippotherapy, Per Session

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9024-PARANASAL-SINUS-ULTRASOUND

HCPCS Level II S9024: Paranasal Sinus Ultrasound

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9366-HOME-TPN-1-2L-PER-DAY-HOME-INFUSION

HCPCS Level II S9366: Home Infusion TPN, 1–2 L/day

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9446-GROUP-PATIENT-EDUCATION-NON-PHYSICIAN

HCPCS S9446: Patient Education, Non-Physician Provider, Group, Per Session

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9451-EXERCISE-CLASS-NON-PHYSICIAN-SESSION

HCPCS S9451: Exercise Classes, Non-Physician Provider, Per Session

Showing 1–10 of 532

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Patient workflow:

Emergency physician identifies need for ALS-level interventions beyond current ED capabilities.
Hospital-based paramedic intercept team is dispatched to the sending facility to augment care.
Paramedics perform assessment, establish/secure airway, initiate or adjust IV/IO access, administer medications per protocol, and provide continuous monitoring.
Paramedics hand off to sending facility staff or ambulatory transport crew if subsequent transport is arranged; if no transport occurs, paramedic documents non-transport rationale and completes intercept report.
Billing for the intercept service uses S0208 with appropriate modifiers reflecting unusual circumstances, staffing, or payer requirements.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`99223`	Initial hospital care, typically 70 minutes or more, for a patient requiring high complexity decision making	May be reported by receiving hospital physician documenting initial evaluation when the paramedic intercept provides pre-transfer stabilization prior to admission.
`94002`	Ventilation assist and management, initiation of mechanical ventilation, hospital inpatient/observation or emergency department, initial day	Relevant when paramedics assist with or initiate mechanical ventilation during the intercept; documentation must support ventilator management time and tasks.
`31500`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure	Performed by ALS paramedic under protocol or physician direction during intercept for airway control; documentation should include attempts and success.
`93010`	Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with interpretation and report	Continuous or serial ECG monitoring and documentation performed during intercept may support clinical care and facility billing of ECG services.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Relevant when paramedic obtains blood samples for immediate testing prior to transport or handoff; reported by facility or lab depending on payer rules.

Related Modifiers

6 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
80	CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for…	- Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
367A00000X	Advanced Practice Midwife	Advanced practice midwifery encompasses the independent provision of care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; sexual and reproduc…
207LP3000X	Pediatric Anesthesiology Physician	An anesthesiologist who has had additional skill and experience in and is primarily concerned with the anesthesia, sedation, and pain management needs…
163WD1100X	Peritoneal Dialysis Registered Nurse	Nursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse
261QA1903X	Ambulatory Surgical Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
261QP3300X	Pain Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
207RP1002X	Physician Nutrition Specialist (Internal Medicine)	A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of primary nutritional diseases (e.g., undernutrition, overnutrition, and genetic or acquir…
251B00000X	Case Management Agency	An organization that is responsible for providing case management services. The agency provides services which assist an individual in gaining access…

HCPCS Level II S2152: Solid Organ Procurement and Transplantation

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S2266-INDUCED-ABORTION-29-TO-31-WEEKS

HCPCS Level II S2266: Induced Abortion, 29 to 31 Weeks

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S3630-EOSINOPHIL-COUNT-BLOOD-DIRECT

HCPCS Level II S3630: Eosinophil Count, Blood, Direct

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S4017-INCOMPLETE-ART-CYCLE-CANCELLED-PRIOR-TO-STIMULATION

HCPCS Level II S4017: Incomplete Cycle — Cancelled Prior to Stimulation

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8055-ULTRASOUND-GUIDANCE-MULTIFETAL-REDUCTION-TC

HCPCS Level II S8055: Ultrasound Guidance for Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S8940-EQUESTRIAN-HIPPOTHERAPY-PER-SESSION

HCPCS Level II S8940: Equestrian/Hippotherapy, Per Session

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9024-PARANASAL-SINUS-ULTRASOUND

HCPCS Level II S9024: Paranasal Sinus Ultrasound

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9366-HOME-TPN-1-2L-PER-DAY-HOME-INFUSION

HCPCS Level II S9366: Home Infusion TPN, 1–2 L/day

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9446-GROUP-PATIENT-EDUCATION-NON-PHYSICIAN

HCPCS S9446: Patient Education, Non-Physician Provider, Group, Per Session

HCPCS-LEVEL-II-S9451-EXERCISE-CLASS-NON-PHYSICIAN-SESSION

HCPCS S9451: Exercise Classes, Non-Physician Provider, Per Session

Showing 1–10 of 532

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

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OpenPayer

HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

References

HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

Sign up for hcpcs S0208 policy alerts

HCPCS S0208: Paramedic Intercept, Hospital-Based ALS Non-Transport

Sign up for hcpcs S0208 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What clinical scenario does HCPCS code S0208 cover?

Which modifiers are commonly used with S0208 and when should they be applied?

Which provider specialties or taxonomy codes are relevant to S0208?

What related CPT codes should I review when S0208 services include advanced interventions?

Which payers are noted as covering or relevant to S0208, and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Codes

What clinical scenario does HCPCS code S0208 cover?

Which modifiers are commonly used with S0208 and when should they be applied?

Which provider specialties or taxonomy codes are relevant to S0208?

What related CPT codes should I review when S0208 services include advanced interventions?

Which payers are noted as covering or relevant to S0208, and does the page provide reimbursement rates?

References