HCPCS codes
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
CMS proposed to establish six new durable medical equipment, prosthetic, orthotic and supply (DMEPOS) codes in 2011 out of 87 new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code requests in the lead-up to a series of public HCPCS coding meetings convening this week through early June. If CMS sticks with its preliminary decisions, new unique codes would be available for two outpatient accessories used with Thoratec's HeartMate II left-ventricular assist device, a component of Cochlear's Baha implantable hearing loss treatment system, EO2 Concepts' TransCu O2 electrochemical low-dose tissue oxygenation wound treatment system, a component of Philips/Respironics' CoughAssist device for removing secretions in patients who lack the ability to cough effectively, and Ermi's MPJ Extensionater therapy machine for accelerating recovery of a joint in the toe. Requestors for the other 81 new codes will have a chance to argue their case at the upcoming meetings at CMS headquarters in Baltimore. The agency will issue final decisions by year-end