Skip to main content
HCPCS L1686 · Level II · orthotic and prosthetic code

L1686: Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, HCPCS Level II orthotic and prosthetic 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). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update).

Key facts for L1686

Medicare payment
$1,048.22 to $1,397.63
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
DME supplier MUE
1
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI A
Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

HCPCS Level II L1686 reads "Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment" in the October 2026 file; it dates from 1989. The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category PO, prosthetics and orthotics) sets L1686 at $1,048.22 in AR, IA, KS and 6 more to $1,397.63 in AZ, CA, NJ and 2 more (floor $1,048.22, ceiling $1,397.63). CMS caps L1686 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment); DME supplier 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. L1686 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage) and any NCD. OPPS status indicator A: Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system. HCPCS record: BETOS D1F (prosthetic/orthotic devices); pricing indicator 38; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). 12 other active codes open with "Hip orthosis"; related codes: L1681, L1660, L1630, L1620.

L1686 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes L1686 as “Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment”. It sits in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices), listed with the other L codes. Although searches often call it the "L1686 CPT code", L1686 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 L1686
FieldValue
Short descriptorHo post-op hip abduction
Added to HCPCS1989-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2001-01-01
Coverage codeC: carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
Pricing indicator38: DMEPOS orthotics, prosthetics, prosthetic devices and vision services (floors and ceilings)
BETOS categoryD1F: prosthetic/orthotic devices
Type of serviceP: lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics

Medicare payment for L1686

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category PO, prosthetics and orthotics) sets L1686 at $1,048.22 in AR, IA, KS and 6 more to $1,397.63 in AZ, CA, NJ and 2 more (floor $1,048.22, ceiling $1,397.63). 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 PO (prosthetics and orthotics). 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 L1686 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none$1,048.22 / $1,397.63$1,048.22 (AR, IA, KS…) to $1,397.63 (AZ, CA, NJ…)—AK $1,618.65, HI $1,730.83, PR $1,522.87, VI $1,397.63

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator A (Services not paid under OPPS; paid under fee schedule or other payment system), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for L1686

CMS caps L1686 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment); DME supplier 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. The DME supplier MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for L1686 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalNature of Equipment
DME supplier13 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalNature of Equipment

The MUE lookup for L1686 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists L1686 in v323r0.

L1686 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 L1686 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for L1686

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists L1686. The HCPCS coverage code C means carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on L1686

CARC 50 · N115

the service is not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis on the claim

CARC 151 · N362

units of L1686 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 1 per date of service

CARC 4

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

CARC 16

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

Prior authorization in Original Medicare

  • Newly enrolled DMEPOS suppliers, and suppliers after certain changes of ownership, need prior authorization for this item during their probationary year, for enrollments approved on or after October 15, 2026. CMS service group: Orthoses.

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

Where QuickIntell fits for L1686 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for L1686 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 L1686

What does HCPCS code L1686 describe?

"Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment" (short descriptor "Ho post-op hip abduction"), in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices). Added 1989-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 2001-01-01.

Is L1686 a CPT code?

It is not. L1686 belongs to the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices) of HCPCS Level II, the CMS code set, not to AMA CPT. "L1686 CPT code" searches refer to it.

What does Medicare pay for L1686?

The October 2026 DMEPOS fee schedule (category PO, prosthetics and orthotics) sets L1686 at $1,048.22 in AR, IA, KS and 6 more to $1,397.63 in AZ, CA, NJ and 2 more (floor $1,048.22, ceiling $1,397.63).

How many units of L1686 can be billed per day?

CMS caps L1686 at practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment); DME supplier 1 (MAI 3, Nature of Equipment) units per day in the 2026 Q4 MUE tables. For the DME supplier MUE (MAI 3), units above 1 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover L1686?

L1686 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code C (carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage) and any NCD.

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.