QL HCPCS Level II modifier: Patient pronounced dead after ambulance called
QL is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Patient pronounced dead after ambulance called.” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
QLPatient pronounced dead after ambulance called
Short description: Patient died after amb call
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with QL in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 1999
Where QL sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier QLPatient pronounced dead after ambulance called
Source and release
- Data release
- HCPCS Level II · October 2026
- Effective date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CMS
This page is built from the HCPCS Level II catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s October 2026 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCPCS code QL mean?
QL is the HCPCS code for “Patient pronounced dead after ambulance called” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is QL in the HCPCS Level II list?
QL is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover QL?
CMS lists QL’s Medicare coverage as “Carrier judgment”. Coverage and payment still depend on the patient, the setting, the documentation and the payer.
Which HCPCS Level II release does this page use?
It uses CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside QL
All modifiersQEPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)QFPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest exceeds 4 liters per minute (lpm) and portable oxygen is prescribedQGPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is greater than 4 liters per minute (lpm)QHOxygen conserving device is being used with an oxygen delivery systemQJServices/items provided to a prisoner or patient in state or local custody, however the state or local government, as applicable, meets the requirements in 42 cfr 411.4 (b)QKMedical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures involving qualified individualsQMAmbulance service provided under arrangement by a provider of servicesQNAmbulance service furnished directly by a provider of servicesQPDocumentation is on file showing that the laboratory test(s) was ordered individually or ordered as a cpt-recognized panel other than automated profile codes 80002-80019, g0058…QQOrdering professional consulted a qualified clinical decision support mechanism for this service and the related data was provided to the furnishing professionalQRPrescribed amounts of stationary oxygen for daytime use while at rest and nighttime use differ and the average of the two amounts is greater than 4 liters per minute (lpm)QSMonitored anesthesia care service