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HCPCS K0738 · Level II · K code

K0738: Portable gaseous oxygen system, rental, HCPCS Level II K 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 K0738

Medicare payment
$46.28 to $50.81
DMEPOS non-rural state fees (RR)
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
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

HCPCS Level II K0738 reads "Portable gaseous oxygen system, rental; home compressor used to fill portable oxygen cylinders; includes portable containers, regulator, flowmeter, humidifier, cannula or mask, and tubing" in the October 2026 file; it dates from 2006. The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category OX, oxygen and oxygen equipment) sets K0738 at RR (rental) $46.28 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $51.63; RR-QB (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58; RR-QF (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58. CMS caps K0738 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. 1 active LCD lists K0738: L33797 (Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment). OPPS status indicator Y: Non-implantable DME. HCPCS record: BETOS D1C (oxygen and supplies); pricing indicator 33; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics), R (rental of DME). Nearby codes: K0800, K0821, K0823, K0825.

K0738 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes K0738 as “Portable gaseous oxygen system, rental; home compressor used to fill portable oxygen cylinders; includes portable containers, regulator, flowmeter, humidifier, cannula or mask, and tubing”. It sits in the K section (temporary codes for DME Medicare administrative contractors), listed with the other K codes. Although searches often call it the "K0738 CPT code", K0738 is a HCPCS Level II code maintained by CMS, not an AMA CPT code; both go in the same procedure-code field on the claim.

HCPCS file attributes of K0738
FieldValue
Short descriptorPortable gas oxygen system
Added to HCPCS2006-10-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2006-10-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator33: DMEPOS oxygen and oxygen equipment (floors and ceilings)
BETOS categoryD1C: oxygen and supplies
Type of serviceP: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics; R: rental of DME

Medicare payment for K0738

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category OX, oxygen and oxygen equipment) sets K0738 at RR (rental) $46.28 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $51.63; RR-QB (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58; RR-QF (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58. 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 OX (oxygen and oxygen equipment). 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 K0738 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
RR (rental)—$46.28 (IL, IN, MI…) to $50.81 (CT, MA, ME…)$51.63 (49 states)AK $51.63, HI $51.63, PR $51.63, VI $51.63
RR (rental), QB (oxygen above 4 lpm with portable, rest/night average)—$48.20 (CA, NV, OR…) to $50.81 (CT, MA, ME…)$88.58 (49 states)AK $88.58, HI $88.58, PR $88.58, VI $88.58
RR (rental), QF (oxygen above 4 lpm at rest with portable)—$48.20 (CA, NV, OR…) to $50.81 (CT, MA, ME…)$88.58 (49 states)AK $88.58, HI $88.58, PR $88.58, VI $88.58

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

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

Medically Unlikely Edits for K0738

CMS caps K0738 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. 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 K0738 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 K0738 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists K0738 in v323r0.

K0738 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 K0738 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for K0738

1 active Local Coverage Determination and 0 billing and coding articles list K0738. 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 K0738

CARC 50 · N115

the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists K0738

CARC 151 · N362

units of K0738 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 1 per date of service

CARC 4

the RR, QB, QF 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

Where QuickIntell fits for K0738 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for K0738 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 K0738

What does HCPCS code K0738 describe?

"Portable gaseous oxygen system, rental; home compressor used to fill portable oxygen cylinders; includes portable containers, regulator, flowmeter, humidifier, cannula or mask, and tubing" (short descriptor "Portable gas oxygen system"), in the K section (temporary codes for DME Medicare administrative contractors). Added 2006-10-01.

Is K0738 a CPT code?

It is not. K0738 belongs to the K section (temporary codes for DME Medicare administrative contractors) of HCPCS Level II, the CMS code set, not to AMA CPT. "K0738 CPT code" searches refer to it.

What does Medicare pay for K0738?

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category OX, oxygen and oxygen equipment) sets K0738 at RR (rental) $46.28 in IL, IN, MI and 2 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $51.63; RR-QB (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58; RR-QF (rental) $48.20 in CA, NV, OR and 1 more to $50.81 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more, rural $88.58.

How many units of K0738 can be billed per day?

CMS caps K0738 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); DME supplier 1 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. 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 K0738?

Coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage). 1 active LCD lists K0738: L33797 (Oxygen and Oxygen Equipment).

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.