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HCPCS E0277 · Level II · DME code

E0277: Powered pressure-reducing air mattress, HCPCS Level II DME code

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); DMEPOS fee schedule: DME26-D (October 2026) (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); Medicare Coverage Database LCD export: MCD release October 8, 2026 (effective October 4, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and DMEPOS fee schedule and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; weekly, every Thursday for the Medicare Coverage Database LCD export.

Key facts for E0277

Medicare payment
$185.56 to $257.64
DMEPOS non-rural state fees (RR)
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
DME supplier MUE
1
MAI 2
OPPS status
SI Y
Non-implantable DME
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
1 / 0

TL;DR

E0277 is a Level II code from the E section (durable medical equipment), in use since 1992: "Powered pressure-reducing air mattress". E0277 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as capped rental items (CR): RR (rental) $185.56 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $257.64 in IA, KS, MN and 4 more, rural $527.94 to $563.60, October 2026. MUE limits for E0277: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). 1 active LCD lists E0277: L33642 (Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces - Group 2). OPPS status indicator Y: Non-implantable DME. HCPCS record: BETOS D1E (other DME); pricing indicator 36; type of service R (rental of DME). Nearby codes: E0272, E0271, E0265, E0261.

E0277 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes E0277 as “Powered pressure-reducing air mattress”. It sits in the E section (durable medical equipment), listed with the other E codes.

HCPCS file attributes of E0277
FieldValue
Short descriptorPowered pres-redu air mattrs
Added to HCPCS1992-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 1998-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
Pricing indicator36: DMEPOS capped rental DME (floors and ceilings)
BETOS categoryD1E: other DME
Type of serviceR: rental of DME

Medicare payment for E0277

E0277 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as capped rental items (CR): RR (rental) $185.56 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $257.64 in IA, KS, MN and 4 more, rural $527.94 to $563.60, October 2026. The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

DMEPOS fee schedule (DME26-D)

Jurisdiction D (DME MAC), payment category CR (capped rental items). Fees are set per state; AK, HI, PR and VI are not subject to the national ceiling and floor and are listed separately. A rural fee applies only in ZIP codes on the CMS rural ZIP list.

DMEPOS fees for E0277 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
RR (rental)—$185.56 (CA, NV, OR…) to $257.64 (IA, KS, MN…)$527.94 (AZ, DE, MI…) to $563.60 (WA)AK $563.54, HI $563.58, PR $563.59, VI $563.56

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator Y (Non-implantable DME), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for E0277

MUE limits for E0277: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). The DME supplier MUE is a date-of-service policy edit: units above the limit deny even when split across lines, and appeals rarely succeed.

MUE values for E0277 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
DME supplier12 Date of Service Edit: PolicyCode Descriptor / CPT Instruction

The MUE lookup for E0277 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists E0277 in v323r0.

E0277 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check E0277 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for E0277

1 active Local Coverage Determination and 0 billing and coding articles list E0277. Each applies only in its contractor's jurisdiction, and the article carries the diagnosis codes that support the item or service.

Denials to expect on E0277

CARC 50 · N115

the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists E0277

CARC 151 · N362

units of E0277 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 1 per date of service

CARC 4

the RR payment modifier is missing or does not match the item

CARC 16

the claim lacks information needed to adjudicate the line, such as an order, NPI or required modifier

Prior authorization in Original Medicare

  • On the DMEPOS Required Prior Authorization List: July 22, 2019 in California, Indiana, North Carolina and New Jersey; October 21, 2019 nationwide; the DME MAC denies a claim without an affirmed request. CMS service group: Pressure reducing support surfaces.

Medicare Advantage plans run their own prior authorization lists. See this code on the Medicare prior authorization list.

Where QuickIntell fits for E0277 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for E0277 depend on, with human review of each case, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the CARC 50, 151 and modifier denials these items draw.

See QuickAuth for requirement checksSee QuickRCM for denial follow-upBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS E0277

What does HCPCS code E0277 describe?

"Powered pressure-reducing air mattress" (short descriptor "Powered pres-redu air mattrs"), in the E section (durable medical equipment). Added 1992-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 1998-01-01.

Is E0277 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains E0277 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. It goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for E0277?

E0277 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as capped rental items (CR): RR (rental) $185.56 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $257.64 in IA, KS, MN and 4 more, rural $527.94 to $563.60, October 2026.

How many units of E0277 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for E0277: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction). For the DME supplier MUE (MAI 2), units above 1 deny for the whole day as a policy limit; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover E0277?

Coverage code D (special coverage instructions apply). 1 active LCD lists E0277: L33642 (Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces - Group 2).

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.