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HCPCS L8690 · Level II · orthotic and prosthetic code

L8690: Auditory osseointegrated device, includes all internal and external components, 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 L8690

Medicare payment
$5,717.38 to $5,933.87
DMEPOS non-rural state fees
Coverage code
C
carrier judgment, so the Medicare contractor decides coverage
DME supplier MUE
0
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI N
Items and Services packaged into APC rates
NCCI PTP pairs
0
practitioner file
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS L8690, added in 2007, as "Auditory osseointegrated device, includes all internal and external components". L8690 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $5,717.38 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $5,933.87 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $5,234.22, ceiling $6,978.96), October 2026. MUE limits for L8690: practitioner 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). L8690 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 N: Items and Services packaged into APC rates. HCPCS record: BETOS D1F (prosthetic/orthotic devices); pricing indicator 38; type of service P (lump-sum purchase of DME, prosthetics or orthotics). 3 other active codes open with "Auditory osseointegrated device"; related codes: L8691, L8692, L8694, L8689.

L8690 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes L8690 as “Auditory osseointegrated device, includes all internal and external components”. It sits in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices), listed with the other L codes. Although searches often call it the "L8690 CPT code", L8690 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 L8690
FieldValue
Short descriptorAud osseo dev, int/ext comp
Added to HCPCS2007-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2007-01-01
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 L8690

L8690 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $5,717.38 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $5,933.87 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $5,234.22, ceiling $6,978.96), 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 L (local Part B 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 L8690 by modifier
ModifierFloor / ceilingNon-rural state rangeRural rangeAK / HI / PR / VI
none$5,234.22 / $6,978.96$5,717.38 (AZ, CA, CT…) to $5,933.87 (CO, MT, ND…)—AK $5,717.38, HI $5,717.38, PR $6,289.09, VI $6,289.09

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator N (Items and Services packaged into APC rates), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Ambulatory surgical center (Addendum BB)

Payment indicator N1 (Packaged service/item; no separate payment made).

Medically Unlikely Edits for L8690

MUE limits for L8690: practitioner 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). 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 L8690 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services22 Date of Service Edit: PolicyCode Descriptor / CPT Instruction
Facility outpatient hospital22 Date of Service Edit: PolicyCode Descriptor / CPT Instruction
DME supplier03 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalCMS Policy

The MUE lookup for L8690 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

No active practitioner PTP pair lists L8690 in v323r0.

L8690 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 L8690 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for L8690

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists L8690. 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 L8690

CARC 50 · N115

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

CARC 151 · N362

units of L8690 exceed the DME supplier MUE of 0 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 L8690 claims

QuickAuth coordinates the requirement checks and documentation that DME claims for L8690 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 L8690

What does HCPCS code L8690 describe?

"Auditory osseointegrated device, includes all internal and external components" (short descriptor "Aud osseo dev, int/ext comp"), in the L section (orthotic and prosthetic procedures and devices). Added 2007-01-01.

Is L8690 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains L8690 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. People do search "L8690 CPT code", and it goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for L8690?

L8690 is paid from the DMEPOS fee schedule as prosthetics and orthotics (PO): $5,717.38 in AZ, CA, CT and 17 more to $5,933.87 in CO, MT, ND and 3 more (floor $5,234.22, ceiling $6,978.96), October 2026.

How many units of L8690 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for L8690: practitioner 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 2, Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction); DME supplier 0 (MAI 3, CMS Policy). For the DME supplier MUE (MAI 3), units above 0 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover L8690?

L8690 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.