K0013 Medicare coverage

Local coverage indication

If coverage criterion 1 for K0013 is not met, the claim will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. If coverage criterion 2 for K0013 is not met, the claim will be denied for incorrect coding (see related Policy Article for additional information). A custom motorized/power wheelchair base is not reasonable and necessary if the expected duration of need for the chair is less than three months (e.g., post-operative recovery). If the PWC base is not covered, then related accessories will be denied. A POV or power wheelchair with Captain's Chair is not appropriate for a beneficiary who needs a separate wheelchair seat and/or back cushion. If a skin protection and/or positioning seat or back cushion that meets coverage criteria (see Wheelchair Seating LCD) is provided with a POV or a power wheelchair with Captain's Chair, the POV or PWC will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. (Refer to Wheelchair Seating LCD and Policy Article for information concerning coverage of general use, skin protection, or positioning cushions when they are provided with a POV or power wheelchair with Captain's Chair.) For beneficiaries who do not have special skin protection or positioning needs, a power wheelchair with Captain’s Chair provides appropriate support. Therefore, if a general use cushion is provided with a power wheelchair with a sling/solid seat/back instead of Captain’s Chair, the wheelchair and the cushion(s) will be covered only if either criterion 1 or criterion 2 is met:

Excerpt from LCD L33789 version 38, effective 10/01/2025. CMS LCD L33789.

What NCD 280.3 says the item is

A. General The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addresses numerous items that it terms “mobility assistive equipment” (MAE) and includes within that category canes, crutches, walkers, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and scooters. This list, however, is not exhaustive. Medicare beneficiaries may require mobility assistance for a variety of reasons and for varying durations because the etiology of the disability may be due to a congenital cause, injury, or disease. Thus, some beneficiaries experiencing temporary disability may need mobility assistance on a short-term basis, while in contrast, those living with chronic conditions or enduring disabilities will require mobility assistance on a permanent basis. Medicare beneficiaries who depend upon mobility assistance are found in varied living situations.

National coverage indication, NCD 280.3

B. Nationally Covered Indications Effective May 5, 2005, CMS finds that the evidence is adequate to determine that MAE is reasonable and necessary for beneficiaries who have a personal mobility deficit sufficient to impair their participation in mobility-related activities of daily living (MRADLs) such as toileting, feeding, dressing, grooming, and bathing in customary locations within the home. Determination of the presence of a mobility deficit will be made by an algorithmic process, Clinical Criteria for MAE Coverage, to provide the appropriate MAE to correct the mobility deficit. Clinical Criteria for MAE Coverage The beneficiary, the beneficiary’s family or other caregiver, or a clinician, will usually initiate the discussion and consideration of MAE use. Sequential consideration of the questions below provides clinical guidance for the coverage of equipment of appropriate type and complexity to restore the beneficiary’s ability to participate in MRADLs such as toileting, feeding, dressing, grooming, and bathing in customary locations in the home. These questions correspond to the numbered decision points on the accompanying flow chart.

Excerpt from NCD 280.3 version 2. CMS NCD 280.3.

What NCD 280.16 says the item is

A. General Power seat elevation equipment used with a power wheelchair raises and lowers users while they remain in the seated position. This equipment uses an electromechanical lift system to provide varying amounts of vertical seat to floor height. It does not change the seated angles or the seat’s angle relative to the ground. Complex rehabilitative power-driven wheelchairs are defined in 42 CFR §414.202.

National coverage indication, NCD 280.16

B. Nationally Covered Indications Effective for services performed on or after May 16, 2023, power seat elevation equipment is reasonable and necessary for individuals using complex rehabilitative power-driven wheelchairs, when the following conditions are met: 1. The individual has undergone a specialty evaluation that confirms the individual’s ability to safely operate the seat elevation equipment in the home. This evaluation must be performed by a licensed/certified medical professional such as a physical therapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT), or other practitioner, who has specific training and experience in rehabilitation wheelchair evaluations; and, 2. At least one of the following apply: The individual performs weight bearing transfers to/from the power wheelchair while in the home, using either their upper extremities during a non-level (uneven) sitting transfer and/or their lower extremities during a sit to stand transfer. Transfers may be accomplished with or without caregiver assistance and/or the use of assistive equipment (e.g. sliding board, cane, crutch, walker, etc.); or, The individual requires a non-weight bearing transfer (e.g.

Excerpt from NCD 280.16 version 1. CMS NCD 280.16.

From L33789

Items covered in this LCD have additional policy-specific requirements that must be met prior to Medicare reimbursement. Refer to the LCD-related Policy article, located at the bottom of this policy under the Related Local Coverage Documents section for additional information. As a condition of payment pursuant to 42 CFR 410.38, Power Mobility Devices (PMDs) require a standard written order prior to delivery (WOPD) for the base item. If the supplier does not receive the order/prescription for the base item prior to delivery, the claim will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. The WOPD for the base item may only be written after the completion of the face-to-face encounter requirements. Pursuant to the Social Security Act, Title XVIII, §1834(a)(1)(E)(iv), the treating practitioner who completes the face-to-face requirements must be the same practitioner who writes the order/prescription for the PMD (base item). A supplier may provide a template to the treating practitioner for their use in creating the WOPD for the base item. Such a template may list the elements of a WOPD, but the supplier must not fill in or complete any of these elements. An SWO is required prior to claim submission for all options, accessories, and/or supplies that are separately billed in addition to the base.

CMS source L33789

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