NON-MEDICAL NECESSITY COVERAGE AND PAYMENT RULES
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. Information provided in this policy article relates to determinations other than those based on Social Security Act §1862(a)(1)(A) provisions (i.e. “reasonable and necessary”).
Pressure-reducing support surfaces are covered under the Durable Medical Equipment benefit (Social Security Act §1861(s)(6)). In order for a beneficiary’s DME to be eligible for reimbursement, the reasonable and necessary (R&N) requirements set out in the related Local Coverage Determination must be met. In addition, there are specific statutory payment policy requirements, discussed below, that also must be met.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC DMEPOS ITEMS PURSUANT TO FINAL RULE 1713 (84 Fed. Reg Vol 217)
Final Rule 1713 (84 Fed. Reg Vol 217) requires a face-to-face encounter and a Written Order Prior to Delivery (WOPD) for specified HCPCS codes. CMS and the DME MACs provide a list of the specified codes, which is periodically updated. The required Face-to-Face Encounter and Written Order Prior to Delivery List is available here.
Claims for the specified items subject to Final Rule 1713 (84 Fed. Reg Vol 217) that do not meet the face-to-face encounter and WOPD requirements specified in the LCD-related Standard Documentation Requirements Article (A55426) will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
If a supplier delivers an item prior to receipt of a WOPD, it will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. If the WOPD is not obtained prior to delivery, payment will not be made for that item even if a WOPD is subsequently obtained by the supplier. If a similar item is subsequently provided by an unrelated supplier who has obtained a WOPD prior to delivery, it will be eligible for coverage.
POLICY SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to policy specific documentation requirements, there are general documentation requirements that are applicable to all DMEPOS policies. These general requirements are located in the DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS section of the LCD.
Refer to the LCD-related Standard Documentation Requirements article, located at the bottom of this Policy Article under the Related Local Coverage Documents section for additional information regarding GENERAL DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS and the POLICY SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS discussed below.
MODIFIERS
KX, GA, AND GZ MODIFIERS
Suppliers must add a KX modifier to E0194 on the initial claim only if all of the criteria in the “Coverage Indications, Limitations and/or Medical Necessity” section of the related LCD have been met and evidence of such is retained in the supplier’s files and available to the DME MAC upon request.
For each subsequent month’s claim use a KX modifier only if the treating practitioner’s monthly certification indicates that continued use is necessary. Discontinue use of the KX modifier if the coverage criteria are not met or use is discontinued.
In all of the situations above describing use of the KX modifier, if all of the specific coverage criteria 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.
Claims lines billed with codes without a KX, GA or GZ modifier will be rejected as missing information.
MISCELLANEOUS
On a monthly basis, the treating practitioner must document the need for the equipment with a written statement specifying:
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The size of the ulcer;
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If the ulcer is not healing, what other aspects of the care plan are being modified to promote healing;
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Continued use of the bed is reasonable and necessary for wound management.
This monthly treating practitioner statement must be kept on file by the supplier and be available for inspection upon request.
Refer to the Supplier Manual for additional information on documentation requirements.
CODING GUIDELINES
An air-fluidized bed (E0194) is a device employing the circulation of filtered air through silicone coated ceramic beads creating the characteristics of fluid.
Heavy duty and bariatric devices are included in the Group 3 pressure reducing support surfaces coded E0194.
Suppliers should contact the Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) Contractor for guidance on the correct coding of these items.
