Key facts for NCD 220.11
- Benefit category
- Diagnostic Tests (other)
- Effective date
- 12/21/1992
- Transmittal
- Transmittal 67
- Versions published
- 1
- Manual chapter
- 220
- NCD Manual (Pub. 100-03)
TL;DR
NCD 220.11 sets Medicare's national policy for thermography under the benefit category "Diagnostic Tests (other)", effective 12/21/1992. Thermography for any indication (including breast lesions which were excluded from Medicare coverage on July 20, 1984) is excluded from Medicare coverage because the available evidence does not support this test as a useful aid in the diagnosis or treatment… It has been revised once since publication and binds every Medicare Administrative Contractor nationally.
Item or service described
Thermography is the measurement of self-emanating infrared radiation that reveals temperature variations at the surface of the body. The thermographic device senses body temperature and demonstrates areas of differing heat emission by producing brightly colored patterns. Each color represents a specific temperature level. Interpretation of these color patterns according to designated anatomic distribution is thought to aid in diagnosing a vast array of diseases.
Indications and limitations of coverage
Thermography for any indication (including breast lesions which were excluded from Medicare coverage on July 20, 1984) is excluded from Medicare coverage because the available evidence does not support this test as a useful aid in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. Therefore, it is not considered effective. This exclusion was published as a CMS Final Notice in the "Federal Register" on November 20, 1992.
Text reproduced from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database record for NCD 220.11 version 1. View the original on cms.gov.
Revision history
02/1994 - Noncovered for all indications. Effective date 12/21/1992. (TN 67)
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 220.11
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.
Frequently asked questions — NCD 220.11
What does NCD 220.11 cover?
Thermography for any indication (including breast lesions which were excluded from Medicare coverage on July 20, 1984) is excluded from Medicare coverage because the available evidence does not support this test as a useful aid in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. Therefore, it is not considered effective. This exclusion was published as a CMS Final Notice in the "Federal Register" on November 20,… The full indications and limitations are reproduced on this page from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database.
When did NCD 220.11 take effect?
The current version (1) is effective 12/21/1992, published in transmittal 67. This is the only published version.
Does a Local Coverage Determination override NCD 220.11?
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.
- Medicare Coverage Database NCDs via the CMS Coverage APIVersion API snapshot 2026-09-27 · effective 2026-09-20 · file national-coverage-ncd.jsonSHA-256 a90fadfd264b9ef4…
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.