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HCPCS · Medicare DME

E0218 Medicare coverage

FLUID CIRCULATING COLD PAD WITH PUMP, ANY TYPE

Long description on the CMS LCD code table, this read.

Data read from the CMS Coverage API on 2026-10-13. The LCD version is the current final DME MAC LCD on that read. Text below is quoted from those CMS documents. Nothing here is a coverage rule Verzi wrote.

Coverage, in CMS's words

Local coverage indication

A fluid circulating cold pad with pump (E0218) will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. A Standard Written Order (SWO) must be communicated to the supplier before a claim is submitted. If the supplier bills for an item addressed in this policy without first receiving a completed SWO, the claim shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. For Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) base items that require a Written Order Prior to Delivery (WOPD), the supplier must have received a signed SWO before the DMEPOS item is delivered to a beneficiary. If a supplier delivers a DMEPOS item without first receiving a WOPD, the claim shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. Refer to the LCD-related Policy Article, located at the bottom of this policy under the Related Local Coverage Documents section. For DMEPOS base items that require a WOPD, and also require separately billed associated options, accessories, and/or supplies, the supplier must have received a WOPD which lists the base item and which may list all the associated options, accessories, and/or supplies that are separately billed prior to the delivery of the items. In this scenario, if the supplier separately bills for associated options, accessories, and/or supplies without first receiving a completed and signed WOPD of the base item prior to delivery, the claim(s) shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. An item/service is correctly coded when it meets all the coding guidelines listed in CMS HCPCS guidelines, LCDs, LCD-related Policy Articles, or DME MAC articles. Claims that do not meet coding guidelines shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary/incorrectly coded. Proof of delivery (POD) is a Supplier Standard and DMEPOS suppliers are required to maintain POD documentation in their files. Proof of delivery documentation must be made available to the Medicare contractor upon request. All services that do not have appropriate proof of delivery from the supplier shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary.

Excerpt from LCD L33735 version 19, effective 01/01/2020. CMS LCD L33735.

Governing LCD

L33735 · Cold Therapy

Version 19. CMS effective date 01/01/2020. CMS updated 02/13/2020. Contractors on the CMS report: CGS Administrators (DME MAC) and Noridian Healthcare Solutions (DME MAC).

CMS coverage policy citation on the LCD. None

Open L33735 on CMS

Documentation requirements

From A52460

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.

CMS source A52460

From A55426, Standard Documentation Requirements for All Claims Submitted to DME MACs

GENERAL There are numerous CMS manual requirements, reasonable and necessary (R&N) requirements, benefit category, and other statutory and regulatory requirements that must be met in order for payment to be justified. In the event of a claim review, a DMEPOS supplier must provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the applicable criteria have been met thus justifying payment. Before submitting a claim to Medicare, the DMEPOS supplier must have on file an SWO, a WOPD (if applicable), information from the treating practitioner concerning the patient's diagnosis, and any information required for the use of specific

CMS article A55426

Denial language in the policy

Get the signed answer via API

The signed answer is the receipt for this code on a date of service: the rule that was in force, with a hash you can replay. The call needs an API key. The source archive and as-of resolution are public.

curl -H "X-API-Key: $VERZI_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.verzi.health/v1/rules/warrant?hcpcs=E0218&as_of=2024-01-15&npi=1234567890&state=UT"

Other codes on the same LCD

Questions about this code

Which LCD lists E0218?

The current DME MAC LCD L33735, Cold Therapy, version 19, effective 01/01/2020.

What denial language does CMS publish for E0218?

A fluid circulating cold pad with pump (E0218) will be denied as not reasonable and necessary.

How do I get a signed answer for E0218?

Request a free API key and call the signed-answer endpoint with the HCPCS code, a date of service, the supplier NPI, and a state. The response is a receipt for the published rule on that date, not a guarantee of payment.