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NCD 110.6 · version 1

NCD 110.6: Scalp Hypothermia During Chemotherapy to Prevent Hair Loss

QuickIntell editorial content · Legacy registry date · Review not verified

Data effective
Data currency: Medicare Coverage Database release of September 24, 2026 (effective September 20, 2026). Next CMS release: weekly (every Thursday) for the MCD; quarterly for lab NCD code lists.

Key facts for NCD 110.6

Benefit category
Incident to a physician's professional Service, Outpatient Hospital Services Incident to a Physician's Service
Effective date
This is a longstanding national coverage determination. The effective date of this version has not been posted.
Transmittal
n/a
Versions published
1
Manual chapter
110
NCD Manual (Pub. 100-03)

TL;DR

NCD 110.6 sets Medicare's national policy for scalp hypothermia during chemotherapy to prevent hair loss under the benefit category "Incident to a physician's professional Service, Outpatient Hospital Services Incident to a Physician's Service", effective This is a longstanding national coverage determination. The effective date of this version has not been posted.. While ice-filled bags or bandages or other devices used for scalp hypothermia during chemotherapy may be covered as supplies of the kind commonly furnished without a separate charge, no separate charge for them would be recognized. It has been revised once since publication and binds every Medicare Administrative Contractor nationally.

Item or service described

Keeping the scalp cool during chemotherapy has been noted to reduce the risk of hair loss. The cooling may be done by packing the scalp with ice-filled bags or bandages, or by specially-designed devices filled with cold-producing chemicals activated during chemotherapy.

Indications and limitations of coverage

While ice-filled bags or bandages or other devices used for scalp hypothermia during chemotherapy may be covered as supplies of the kind commonly furnished without a separate charge, no separate charge for them would be recognized.

Text reproduced from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database record for NCD 110.6 version 1. View the original on cms.gov.

How this NCD shows up on remittances

A service denied under a National Coverage Determination returns CARC 50 (not deemed medically necessary) with remark N386 (decision based on an NCD); a denial citing a local policy instead carries N115. Because NCDs bind nationally, the appeal path is documentation that the patient meets the indications above, not a contractor-policy argument.

How QuickIntell applies NCD 110.6

QuickAuth checks the ordered service and diagnosis against NCD and LCD criteria before the encounter, QuickCode validates the diagnosis pairing on the claim, and QuickRCM routes CARC 50 denials with the policy text and the covered-code list attached so the appeal starts with evidence.

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Frequently asked questions — NCD 110.6

What does NCD 110.6 cover?

While ice-filled bags or bandages or other devices used for scalp hypothermia during chemotherapy may be covered as supplies of the kind commonly furnished without a separate charge, no separate charge for them would be recognized. The full indications and limitations are reproduced on this page from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database.

When did NCD 110.6 take effect?

The current version (1) is effective This is a longstanding national coverage determination. The effective date of this version has not been posted.. This is the only published version.

Does a Local Coverage Determination override NCD 110.6?

No. A National Coverage Determination binds all Medicare Administrative Contractors; an LCD can only address services or circumstances the NCD leaves open. Claims denied under this NCD typically return CARC 50 with remark N386 (NCD) rather than N115 (LCD).

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-02. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions.

Disclaimer

This page reproduces the CMS National Coverage Determination text and, for laboratory NCDs, the CMS ICD-10 edit lists, as an operational reference. Coverage decisions depend on the full policy, the claim and the contractor; nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA.