Skip to main content
HCPCS L8501 · Level II · orthotic and prosthetic code

L8501: Tracheostomy speaking valve, 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 L8501

Medicare payment
$147.88 to $197.18
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
DME supplier MUE
2
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 L8501 reads "Tracheostomy speaking valve" in the October 2026 file; it dates from 1990. L8501 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $147.88 in AR, AZ, CA and 32 more to $197.18 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more (floor $147.88, ceiling $197.18), October 2026. MUE limits for L8501: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). No current LCD or billing article lists L8501; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply). 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). Nearby codes: L8500, L8509, L8470, L8460.

L8501 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes L8501 as “Tracheostomy speaking valve”. It sits in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices), listed with the other L codes.

HCPCS file attributes of L8501
FieldValue
Short descriptorTracheostomy speaking valve
Added to HCPCS1990-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 1996-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
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 L8501

L8501 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $147.88 in AR, AZ, CA and 32 more to $197.18 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more (floor $147.88, ceiling $197.18), 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 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 L8501 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none$147.88 / $197.18$147.88 (AR, AZ, CA…) to $197.18 (CT, MA, ME…)—AK $107.37, HI $114.77, PR $152.32, VI $147.88

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 L8501

MUE limits for L8501: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). 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 L8501 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy
Facility outpatient hospital23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
DME supplier23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data

The MUE lookup for L8501 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists L8501 in v323r0.

L8501 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 L8501 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for L8501

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists L8501. The HCPCS coverage code D means special coverage instructions apply, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on L8501

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of L8501 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 2 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

Where QuickIntell fits for L8501 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for L8501 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 L8501

What does HCPCS code L8501 describe?

"Tracheostomy speaking valve" (short descriptor "Tracheostomy speaking valve"), in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices). Added 1990-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 1996-01-01.

Is L8501 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains L8501 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. It goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for L8501?

L8501 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $147.88 in AR, AZ, CA and 32 more to $197.18 in CT, MA, ME and 3 more (floor $147.88, ceiling $197.18), October 2026.

How many units of L8501 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for L8501: practitioner 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); DME supplier 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). For the DME supplier MUE (MAI 3), units above 2 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover L8501?

No current LCD or billing article lists L8501; its HCPCS coverage code is D (special coverage instructions apply).

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.