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Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces - Group 1
(L11563)
Contractor Information
Contractor Name CGS Administrators, LLC
Contractor Number 18003
Contractor Type DME MAC
Jurisdiction J - G
LCD Information
Document Information
LCD ID Number L11563
LCD Title Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces - Group 1
Contractor's Determination Number PSS1
AMA CPT/ADA CDT Copyright Statement
CPT only copyright 2002-2012 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Applicable FARS/DFARS Apply to Government Use. Fee schedules, relative value units, conversion factors and/or related components are not assigned by the AMA, are not part of CPT, and the AMA is not recommending their use. The AMA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense medical services. The AMA assumes no liability for data contained or not contained herein. The Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (Code) is published in Current Dental Terminology (CDT). Copyright © American Dental Association. All rights reserved. CDT and CDT-2010 are trademarks of the American Dental Association.
Primary Geographic Jurisdiction
Alabama Arkansas Colorado Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina New Mexico Oklahoma Puerto Rico South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Virgin Islands West Virginia
Oversight Region Region IV
DME Region LCD Covers Jurisdiction C
Original Determination Effective Date
For services performed on or after 10/01/1993
Original Determination Ending Date
Revision Effective Date
For services performed on or after 08/05/2011
Revision Ending Date
CMS National Coverage Policy
CMS Pub. 100-3, (Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual), Chapter 1, Section 280.1 Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity
For any item to be covered by Medicare, it must: 1) be eligible for a defined Medicare benefit category, 2) be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member, and 3) meet all other applicable Medicare statutory and regulatory requirements. For the items addressed in this local coverage determination, the criteria for "reasonable and necessary", based on Social Security Act § 1862(a)(1)(A) provisions, are defined by the following indications and limitations of coverage and/or medical necessity.
These items require a written order prior to delivery. Refer to the Policy Article for additional information on orders.
A Group 1 mattress overlay or mattress (E0181-E0189, E0196-E0199, and A4640) is covered if one of the following three criteria are met:
1. The patient is completely immobile - i.e., patient cannot make changes in body position without assistance, or
2. The patient has limited mobility - i.e., patient cannot independently make changes in body position significant enough to alleviate pressure and at least one of conditions A-D below, or
3. The patient has any stage pressure ulcer on the trunk or pelvis and at least one of conditions A-D below. Conditions for criteria 2 and 3 (in each case the medical record must document the severity of the condition
sufficiently to demonstrate the medical necessity for a pressure reducing support surface):
A. Impaired nutritional status
B. Fecal or urinary incontinence
C. Altered sensory perception
D. Compromised circulatory status.
When the coverage criteria for a Group 1 mattress overlay or mattress are not met, the claim will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
The support surface provided for the patient should be one in which the patient does not "bottom out". Bottoming out is the finding that an outstretched hand, placed palm up between the undersurface of the mattress overlay or mattress and the patient's bony prominence (coccyx or lateral trochanter), can readily palpate the bony prominence. This bottoming out criterion should be tested with the patient in the supine position with their head flat, in the supine position with their head slightly elevated (no more than 30 degrees), and in the side-lying position.
A support surface which does not meet the characteristics specified in the Coding Guidelines section of the Policy Article will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
Coding Information
Bill Type Codes:
Contractors may specify Bill Types to help providers identify those Bill Types typically used to report this service. Absence of a Bill Type does not guarantee that the policy does not apply to that Bill Type. Complete absence of all Bill Types indicates that coverage is not influenced by Bill Type and the policy should be assumed to apply equally to all claims.
Revenue Codes:
Contractors may specify Revenue Codes to help providers identify those Revenue Codes typically used to report this service. In most instances Revenue Codes are purely advisory; unless specified in the policy services reported under other Revenue Codes are equally subject to this coverage determination. Complete absence of all Revenue Codes indicates that coverage is not influenced by Revenue Code and the policy should be assumed to apply equally to all Revenue Codes.
CPT/HCPCS Codes
The appearance of a code in this section does not necessarily indicate coverage.
HCPCS MODIFIERS:
EY – No physician or other licensed health care provider order for this item or service GA - Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case GZ - Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary
KX - Requirements specified in the medical policy have been met
HCPCS CODES:
A4640 REPLACEMENT PAD FOR USE WITH MEDICALLY NECESSARY ALTERNATING PRESSURE PAD OWNED BY PATIENT
A9270 NON-COVERED ITEM OR SERVICE
E0181 POWERED PRESSURE REDUCING MATTRESS OVERLAY/PAD, ALTERNATING, WITH PUMP, INCLUDES HEAVY DUTY
E0182 PUMP FOR ALTERNATING PRESSURE PAD, FOR REPLACEMENT ONLY E0184 DRY PRESSURE MATTRESS
E0185 GEL OR GEL-LIKE PRESSURE PAD FOR MATTRESS, STANDARD MATTRESS LENGTH AND WIDTH E0186 AIR PRESSURE MATTRESS
E0187 WATER PRESSURE MATTRESS E0188 SYNTHETIC SHEEPSKIN PAD
E0189 LAMBSWOOL SHEEPSKIN PAD, ANY SIZE
E0196 GEL PRESSURE MATTRESS
E0197 AIR PRESSURE PAD FOR MATTRESS, STANDARD MATTRESS LENGTH AND WIDTH E0198 WATER PRESSURE PAD FOR MATTRESS, STANDARD MATTRESS LENGTH AND WIDTH E0199 DRY PRESSURE PAD FOR MATTRESS, STANDARD MATTRESS LENGTH AND WIDTH E1399 DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, MISCELLANEOUS
ICD-9 Codes that Support Medical Necessity Not specified.
AsteriskNoteText
Diagnoses that Support Medical Necessity Not specified.
ICD-9 Codes that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity Not specified.
ICD-9 Codes that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity Asterisk Explanation
Diagnoses that DO NOT Support Medical Necessity Not specified.
General Information
Documentations Requirements
Section 1833(e) of the Social Security Act precludes payment to any provider of services unless "there has been furnished such information as may be necessary in order to determine the amounts due such provider". It is expected that the patient’s medical records will reflect the need for the care provided. The patient’s medical records include the physician’s office records, hospital records, nursing home records, home health agency records, records from other healthcare professionals and test reports. This documentation must be available upon request.
An order for each item billed must be signed and dated by the treating physician, kept on file by the supplier, and be available upon request. Items delivered before a signed written order has been received by the supplier must be submitted with an EY modifier added to each affected HCPCS code.
The supplier must obtain information concerning which, if any, of the criteria listed in the "Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity" section of this policy the patient meets in a signed and dated statement from the treating physician. A suggested form for collecting this information is attached. Questions pertaining to medical necessity on any form used to collect this information may not be completed by the supplier or anyone in a financial relationship with the supplier. This statement must be supported by information in the patient's medical record which would be available upon request. Do not submit this form unless specifically requested.
KX, GA AND GZ MODIFIERS
Suppliers must add a KX modifier to a code only if all of the criteria in the “Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity” section of this policy have been met and evidence of such is maintained in the supplier's files. This information must be available upon request.
If all of the criteria in the Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity section have not been met, the GA or GZ modifier must be added to the code. When there is an expectation of a denial as not reasonable and necessary, suppliers must enter the GA modifier on the claim line if they have obtained a properly executed Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) or the GZ modifier if they have not obtained a valid ABN.
Claim lines billed without a KX, GA, or GZ modifier will be rejected as missing information.
MISCELLANOUS
When code E1399 is billed, the claim must include a narrative description of the item, the manufacturer, the product name/number, and information justifying the medical necessity for the item.
Refer to the Supplier Manual for more information on documentation requirements. Appendices RELATED CLINICAL INFORMATION:
Patients needing pressure reducing support surfaces should have a care plan which has been established by the patient's physician or home care nurse, which is documented in the patient's medical records, and which generally should include the following:
1. Education of the patient and caregiver on the prevention and/or management of pressure ulcers
2. Regular assessment by a nurse, physician, or other licensed healthcare practitioner
3. Appropriate turning and positioning
4. Appropriate wound care (for a stage II, III, or IV ulcer)
5. Appropriate management of moisture/incontinence
6. Nutritional assessment and intervention consistent with the overall plan of care The staging of pressure ulcers used in this policy is as follows:
Suspected Deep Tissue Injury: Purple or maroon localized area of discolored intact skin or blood-filled blister due to damage of underlying soft tissue from pressure and/or shear. The area may be preceded by tissue that is painful, firm, mushy, boggy, warmer or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue.
Stage I - Intact skin with non-blanchable redness of a localized area usually over a bony prominence. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible blanching; its color may differ from the surrounding area.
Stage II - Partial thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shallow open ulcer with a red pink wound bed, without slough. May also present as an intact or open/ruptured serum-filled blister.
Stage III - Full thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed. Slough may be present but does not obscure the depth of tissue loss. May include undermining and tunneling.
Stage IV - Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle. Slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed. Often include undermining and tunneling.
Unstageable: Full thickness tissue loss in which the base of the ulcer is covered by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green or brown) and/or eschar (tan, brown or black) in the wound bed.
Utilization Guidelines Refer to Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity.
Sources of Information and Basis for Decision
National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) Revised Staging Definitions for Pressure Ulcers accessed at
www.npuap.org on August 28, 2008. Advisory Committee Meeting Notes
Start Date of Comment Period
End Date of Comment Period
Start Date of Notice Period 08/01/1993
Revision History Number 009
Revision History Explanation Revision Effective Date: 01/01/2011 INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE:
Revised: Preamble language
HCPCS CODES AND MODIFIERS:
Revised: GA modifier
Revision Effective Date: 12/01/2009 INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE:
Revised the Criteria for coverage of Group I Mattress HCPCS CODES AND MODIFIERS:
Added: GA and GZ modifiers Revised: KX modifier DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:
Added: Instructions for the use of GA and GZ modifiers APPENDICES:
Revised: Definitions of pressure ulcer stages
SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND BASIS FOR DECISION:
Added: Reference to NPUAP guidelines for pressure ulcer staging
03/01/2008 In accordance with Section 911 of the Medicare Modernization Act, this policy was transitioned to DME MAC CIGNA Government Services (18003) LCD L11517 from DME PSC TrustSolutions (77012) LCD L11517.
06/01/2007 In accordance with Section 911 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, Virginia and West Virginia were transitioned from DME PSC TriCenturion (77011) to DME PSC TrustSolutions (77012).
Revision Effective Date: 01/01/2007 INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE:
Removed: Reference to E0180
HCPCS CODES:
Deleted: E0180 Revised: E0181, E0182
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:
Removed: DMERC references
03/01/2006 In accordance with Section 911 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, this policy was transitioned to DME PSC TrustSolutions (77012) from DMERC Palmetto GBA (00885).
Effective Date: 07/01/2005
LMRP converted to LCD and Policy Article
Revision Effective Date: 04/01/2003 HCPCS CODES AND MODIFIERS:
Added: EY modifier
INDICATIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF COVERAGE:
Adds standard language concerning coverage of items without a written order prior to delivery DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:
Adds standard language concerning use of EY modifier for items without a written order prior to delivery
The revision dates listed below are the dates the revisions were published and not necessarily the effective dates for the revisions.
07/01/2002 - Changed ZX modifier to KX.
10/01/2001 - This policy revision incorporates a recent coverage determination by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Financing Administration, that reclassified synthetic sheepskin pads and lambswool sheepskin pads (HCPCS codes E0188 and E0189, respectively) as durable medical equipment and placed them in the inexpensive or routinely purchased payment category. Effective for dates of service on or after January 1, 2001, codes E0188 and E0189 will be given coverage consideration by the DMERC.
03/01/1998 – Revised description for HCPCS code E0185 from “gel” to “gel and gel-like”; and added codes E0188 and E0189. Added non-coverage language for E0188 and E0189 in Coverage and Payment Rules section.
10/01/1995 – Alternating Pressure Pads and Mattresses policy was separated into three policies – Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces, Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3. Added HCPCS codes for Group 1 – A9270, E0182, E0184-E0187, E0196-E0199, and E1399. Revised entire policy for information specific to Group 1 support surfaces and added Statement of Ordering Physician-Group 1 Support Surfaces form.
08/05/2011 - The Jurisdiction C contractor adopted a new business name. This LCD revision only includes the change from CIGNA Government Services to CGS Administrators, LLC. No coverage information was included in this revision and no provider action is needed regarding this revision.
Reason for Change Maintenance (annual review with new changes, formatting, etc.)
Related Documents Article(s)
A33747 - Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces - Group 1 - Policy Article - Effective January 2011
LCD Attachments
Statement of Ordering Physician Group 1 Support Services
All Versions
Updated on 03/08/2012 with effective dates 08/05/2011 - N/A Updated on 08/04/2011 with effective dates 08/05/2011 - N/A Updated on 02/25/2011 with effective dates 01/01/2011 - 08/04/2011
Some older versions have been archived. Please visit the MCD Archive Site