HOSPITAL BED, SEMI-ELECTRIC (HEAD AND FOOT ADJUSTMENT), WITH ANY TYPE SIDE RAILS, WITH MATTRESS
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 semi-electric hospital bed (E0260, E0261, E0294, E0295, and E0329) is covered if the beneficiary meets one of the criteria for a fixed height bed and requires frequent changes in body position and/or has an immediate need for a change in body position. A heavy duty extra wide hospital bed (E0301, E0303) is covered if the beneficiary meets one of the criteria for a fixed height hospital bed and the beneficiary's weight is more than 350 pounds, but does not exceed 600 pounds.
Excerpt from LCD L33820 version 21, effective 01/01/2020. CMS LCD L33820.
National coverage indication, NCD 280.7
A. General Requirements for Coverage of Hospital Beds A physician's prescription and such additional documentation as the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) medical staff may consider necessary, including medical records and physicians' reports, must establish the medical necessity for a hospital bed due to one of the following reasons: The patient's condition requires positioning of the body; e.g., to alleviate pain, promote good body alignment, prevent contractures, avoid respiratory infections, in ways not feasible in an ordinary bed; or The patient's condition requires special attachments that cannot be fixed and used on an ordinary bed. B. Physician's Prescription The physician's prescription, which must accompany the initial claim, and supplementing documentation when required, must establish that a hospital bed is medically necessary. If the stated reason for the need for a hospital bed is the patient's condition requires positioning, the prescription or other documentation must describe the medical condition, e.g.
Version 21. 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. CMS Pub. 100-3 (Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual) Chapter 1, Sections 280.1, 280.7
NCD 280.1 · Durable Medical Equipment Reference List
Current version on the CMS national report: 4. Effective date 06/09/2025. Benefit category: Durable Medical Equipment. The LCD lists related NCD version 1. The excerpt on this page, when present, is version 4.
Current version on the CMS national report: 1. Effective date This is a longstanding national coverage determination. The effective date of this version has not been posted.. Benefit category: Durable Medical Equipment.
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.
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
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. Source: L33820
If a supplier delivers a DMEPOS item without first receiving a WOPD, the claim shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. Source: L33820
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. Source: L33820
All services that do not have appropriate proof of delivery from the supplier shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. Source: L33820
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.
The current DME MAC LCD L33820, Hospital Beds And Accessories, version 21, effective 01/01/2020.
Which National Coverage Determination applies to E0260?
NCD 280.1, Durable Medical Equipment Reference List, version 4, is the current national document related from the LCD.
What denial language does CMS publish for E0260?
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.
How do I get a signed answer for E0260?
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.