2025 HCPCS code A0392
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies - ALS specialized service disposable supplies; defibrillation Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies Feed
Disposable supplies used for defibrillation in ALS ambulances where defibrillation is not permitted in BLS ambulances.
Medical necessity for defibrillation and the use of the associated supplies should be documented. The documentation must justify the need for defibrillation based on the patient’s clinical condition, and that the use of the supplies was essential for saving the patient’s life.
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics in ALS ambulances are responsible for the appropriate use of defibrillation supplies and accurate coding.
In simple words: This code covers the special items used by paramedics in an advanced life support ambulance to shock a patient's heart back into a normal rhythm if needed during transport, only used where this isn't allowed in basic life support ambulances.
This HCPCS code represents the special disposable supplies utilized by emergency medical staff in advanced life support (ALS) ambulances to perform defibrillation on patients during transport.This code is used only in jurisdictions where defibrillation is not permissible in basic life support (BLS) ambulances. The supplies include, but are not limited to, electrodes, gel, and pacing pads. One unit of A0392 is reported for all defibrillation supplies used in a single instance.
Example 1: A patient experiences cardiac arrest in a rural area where a BLS ambulance is the first to arrive, but defibrillation is not permitted on the BLS unit. An ALS ambulance arrives and defibrillates the patient using supplies reported under A0392. , A patient with a history of cardiac arrhythmias suffers cardiac arrest during transport to the hospital by an ALS ambulance. Defibrillation is necessary to stabilize the patient's heart rhythm.A0392 is used to bill for the supplies utilized., During transport to the hospital, a patient experiences a life-threatening ventricular fibrillation episode. The ALS ambulance crew utilizes A0392 to code for the supplies used during defibrillation to stabilize the patient's cardiac rhythm.
Documentation must include details about the emergency situation, the type of ambulance utilized (ALS), confirmation that defibrillation was performed, and the specific supplies used during the procedure.The documentation must justify that defibrillation was performed and was medically necessary. Specific local and jurisdictional guidelines should be observed.
** This code is highly dependent on jurisdictional regulations regarding the use of defibrillation in different types of ambulances.Confirm the local rules before using this code.The single unit of A0392 encompasses all disposable supplies used for a single defibrillation event. Accurate documentation is key to supporting billing claims.
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Paramedicine
- Place of Service:Ambulance - Land, Ambulance - Air or Water