2025 HCPCS code A0432
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Transportation Services - Paramedic Intercept Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies Feed
Paramedic intercept service in a rural area; advanced life support (ALS) provided by a paramedic, not including transport.
Modifiers may apply depending on the specific circumstances of the service provided. Review payer guidelines for appropriate modifiers.
Medical necessity is established by the need for immediate, advanced life support in a medical emergency where such services are unavailable locally. Documentation must clearly demonstrate the emergency nature of the situation and the need for ALS intervention.
The paramedic is responsible for providing advanced life support services at the scene of a medical emergency.
In simple words: This code covers emergency medical help given by a paramedic in a rural area.The paramedic arrives at the emergency, gives advanced medical care, but the patient is taken to the hospital by a different ambulance service.
This HCPCS code, A0432, represents advanced life support (ALS) services furnished by a paramedic during a medical emergency in a rural area.The service excludes ambulance transport, which is provided by a volunteer ambulance company. The paramedic intercepts the patient at the scene, provides ALS such as EKG monitoring, chest decompression, or intravenous therapy, but does not transport.Reimbursement is subject to carrier judgment and specific state regulations regarding billing by volunteer ambulance services.
Example 1: A 911 call reports a cardiac arrest in a rural area. A volunteer ambulance with basic life support (BLS) arrives first and contacts the paramedic intercept service. The paramedic arrives, performs advanced life support, including intubation and defibrillation.The volunteer ambulance then transports the patient., A patient experiences a severe allergic reaction in a remote rural setting. The volunteer ambulance arrives and contacts the paramedic. The paramedic administers epinephrine and other necessary medications to stabilize the patient, and the volunteer ambulance transport the patient to hospital., A motor vehicle accident occurs in a rural area, and local volunteer ambulance provides basic life support, while paramedic provides advanced life support, including managing a pneumothorax and initiating intravenous fluids, before the patient is transported.
Documentation should include the patient's condition, services performed by the paramedic, time of arrival and departure of both the volunteer ambulance and the paramedic, and confirmation of rural location according to state definitions. The paramedic's ALS certification must be documented.In some states, additional documentation showing the volunteer service's limitations may be required.
** Reimbursement for this service is complex and varies by payer and state regulations.The volunteer ambulance service must be appropriately certified and contracted to provide BLS transport.State laws might prohibit billing for this service in some situations.The provider must possess valid ALS certification.
- RVU: Carrier judgment; reimbursement varies.
- Global Days : Not applicable.
- Payment Status: Active, subject to carrier judgment and state regulations.
- Modifier TC rule: Not applicable.
- Fee Schedule : Unknown. Reimbursement is subject to carrier judgment.
- Specialties:Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Paramedicine
- Place of Service:Rural area, scene of medical emergency