Key facts for NCD 230.17
- Benefit category
- Prosthetic Devices
- Effective date
- 06/05/1997
- Transmittal
- Transmittal 97
- Versions published
- 1
- Manual chapter
- 230
- NCD Manual (Pub. 100-03)
TL;DR
NCD 230.17 sets Medicare's national policy for urinary drainage bags under the benefit category "Prosthetic Devices", effective 06/05/1997. Urinary collection and retention system are covered as prosthetic devices that replace bladder function in the case of permanent urinary incontinence. There is insufficient evidence to support the medical necessity of a single use system bag rather than the… It has been revised once since publication and binds every Medicare Administrative Contractor nationally.
Item or service described
Urinary drainage bags that can be used either as bedside or leg drainage bags may be either multi-use or single use systems. Both the multi-use and the single use bags have a system that prevents urine backflow. However, the single use system is non-drainable.
Indications and limitations of coverage
Urinary collection and retention system are covered as prosthetic devices that replace bladder function in the case of permanent urinary incontinence. There is insufficient evidence to support the medical necessity of a single use system bag rather than the multi-use bag. Therefore, a single use drainage system is subject to the same coverage parameters as the multi-use drainage bags.
Text reproduced from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database record for NCD 230.17 version 1. View the original on cms.gov.
Revision history
05/1997 - Indicated insufficient evidence to support medical necessity of using single use urinary drainage bags. Therefore, a single use drainage system is subject to the same coverage parameters as multiuse drainage bags. Effective date 06/05/1997. (TN 97)
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 230.17
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 230.17
What does NCD 230.17 cover?
Urinary collection and retention system are covered as prosthetic devices that replace bladder function in the case of permanent urinary incontinence. There is insufficient evidence to support the medical necessity of a single use system bag rather than the multi-use bag. Therefore, a single use drainage system is subject to the same coverage parameters as the multi-use drainage bags. The full indications and limitations are reproduced on this page from the CMS Medicare Coverage Database.
When did NCD 230.17 take effect?
The current version (1) is effective 06/05/1997, published in transmittal 97. This is the only published version.
Does a Local Coverage Determination override NCD 230.17?
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.