A6590 — External urinary catheters; disposable, with wicking material, for use with suction pump, per month
A6590 is a HCPCS Level II code for external urinary catheters; disposable, with wicking material, for use with suction pump, per month. 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 A6590 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
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
- outpatient
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
- DME supplier
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
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 A6590
- Long descriptor
- External urinary catheters; disposable, with wicking material, for use with suction pump, per month
- Short descriptor
- Urinary cath disp suc pump
- Added
- April 1, 2023
- BETOS
- D1E
- Pricing indicator
- 34 — 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.
DME supplies. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to A6590
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If A6590 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- A6582Gradient compression gauntlet, each
- A6583Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, below knee, each
- A6584Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, not otherwise specified
- A6585Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, above knee, each
- A6586Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, full leg, each
- A6587Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, foot, each
- A6588Gradient compression wrap with adjustable straps, arm, each
- A6589Gradient pressure wrap with adjustable straps, bra, each
- A6591External urinary catheter; non-disposable, for use with suction pump, per month
- A6593Accessory for gradient compression garment or wrap with adjustable straps, not-otherwise specified
- A6594Gradient compression bandaging supply, bandage liner, lower extremity, any size or length, each
- A6595Gradient compression bandaging supply, bandage liner, upper extremity, any size or length, each
- A6596Gradient compression bandaging supply, conforming gauze, per linear yard, any width, each
- A6597Gradient compression bandage roll, elastic long stretch, linear yard, any width, each
- A6598Gradient compression bandage roll, elastic medium stretch, per linear yard, any width, each
- A6599Gradient compression bandage roll, inelastic short stretch, per linear yard, any width, each
Questions about A6590
What is HCPCS code A6590?
A6590 is a HCPCS Level II code for external urinary catheters; disposable, with wicking material, for use with suction pump, per month. It sits in the Transportation, Medical & Surgical Supplies, Administrative section.
Does Medicare cover A6590?
The CMS HCPCS file marks A6590 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 A6590 paid under the physician fee schedule?
A6590 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.