A4233 — Replacement battery, alkaline (other than j cell), for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each
A4233 is a HCPCS Level II code for replacement battery, alkaline (other than j cell), for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each. It belongs to the Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies, Administrative section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Carrier judgment
Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
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 A4233 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
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- DME supplier
- 2 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: Data
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 A4233
- Long descriptor
- Replacement battery, alkaline (other than j cell), for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each
- Short descriptor
- Alkalin batt for glucose mon
- Added
- January 1, 2006
- BETOS
- D1E
- Pricing indicator
- 32 — 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.
Inexpensive and routinely purchased DME. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to A4233
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If A4233 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- A4222Infusion supplies for external drug infusion pump, per cassette or bag (list drugs separately)
- A4223Infusion supplies not used with external infusion pump, per cassette or bag (list drugs separately)
- A4224Supplies for maintenance of insulin infusion catheter, per week
- A4225Supplies for external insulin infusion pump, syringe type cartridge, sterile, each
- A4226Supplies for maintenance of insulin infusion pump with dosage rate adjustment using therapeutic continuous glucose sensing, per week
- A4230Infusion set for external insulin pump, non needle cannula type
- A4231Infusion set for external insulin pump, needle type
- A4232Syringe with needle for external insulin pump, sterile, 3 cc
- A4234Replacement battery, alkaline, j cell, for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each
- A4235Replacement battery, lithium, for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each
- A4236Replacement battery, silver oxide, for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each
- A4238Supply allowance for adjunctive, non-implanted continuous glucose monitor (cgm), includes all supplies and accessories, 1 month supply = 1 unit of service
- A4239Supply allowance for non-adjunctive, non-implanted continuous glucose monitor (cgm), includes all supplies and accessories, 1 month supply = 1 unit of service
- A4244Alcohol or peroxide, per pint
- A4245Alcohol wipes, per box
- A4246Betadine or phisohex solution, per pint
Questions about A4233
What is HCPCS code A4233?
A4233 is a HCPCS Level II code for replacement battery, alkaline (other than j cell), for use with medically necessary home blood glucose monitor owned by patient, each. It sits in the Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies, Administrative section.
Does Medicare cover A4233?
The CMS HCPCS file marks A4233 as "Carrier judgment". Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
How is A4233 paid under the physician fee schedule?
A4233 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.