A4481 — Tracheostoma filter, any type, any size, each
A4481 is a HCPCS Level II code for tracheostoma filter, any type, any size, each. It belongs to the Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies, Administrative section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Special coverage instructions apply
There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Physician fee schedule statusX
Statutory exclusion. The item or service is not within the statutory definition of 'physician services', so the fee schedule never pays it.
Global period: XXX
Want the dollar amount for your locality? The fee calculator applies your GPCI and the current conversion factor.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of A4481 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- outpatient
- 2 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: CMS Workgroup
- DME supplier
- 186 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for A4481
- Long descriptor
- Tracheostoma filter, any type, any size, each
- Short descriptor
- Tracheostoma filter
- Added
- January 1, 1997
- BETOS
- D1F
- Pricing indicator
- 37 — DMEPOS
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Ostomy, tracheostomy and urological supplies. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to A4481
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If A4481 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- A4463Surgical dressing holder, reusable, each
- A4465Non-elastic binder for extremity
- A4466Garment, belt, sleeve or other covering, elastic or similar stretchable material, any type, eachterminated
- A4467Belt, strap, sleeve, garment, or covering, any type
- A4468Exsufflation belt, includes all supplies and accessories
- A4470Gravlee jet washer
- A4479Electronic transanal irrigation system, includes electronic pump, water reservoir, tubing, and accessories, without catheter, any type
- A4480Vabra aspirator
- A4483Moisture exchanger, disposable, for use with invasive mechanical ventilation
- A4490Surgical stockings above knee length, each
- A4495Surgical stockings thigh length, each
- A4500Surgical stockings below knee length, each
- A4510Surgical stockings full length, each
- A4520Incontinence garment, any type, (e.g., brief, diaper), each
- A4540Distal transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator, stimulates peripheral nerves of the upper arm
- A4541Monthly supplies for use of device coded at e0733
Questions about A4481
What is HCPCS code A4481?
A4481 is a HCPCS Level II code for tracheostoma filter, any type, any size, each. It sits in the Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies, Administrative section.
Does Medicare cover A4481?
The CMS HCPCS file marks A4481 as "Special coverage instructions apply". There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
How is A4481 paid under the physician fee schedule?
A4481 carries PFS status code X. Statutory exclusion. The item or service is not within the statutory definition of 'physician services', so the fee schedule never pays it.