Wiki DME BILLING VCU UNIT FOR COLD THERAPY

[labraddock]

We are a DME company billing a VCU unit for cold therapy after orthopedic surgery where cold water circulates through the unit to the cooling pads to be used in place of ice packs. Our company has been using HCPCS E0217 for years but I have changed it to E0218 as E0217 is heat therapy and E0218 is cold therapy. They believe they can use E0217 heat therapy because the unit is "capable" of doing heat. The physicians prescribe the unit for cold therapy so I refuse to bill heat therapy. I believe I am right but they continue to argue. Any insight?

 

[thomas7331]

I see that in LCD article A52460 on Cold Therapy it states:

Code E0218 describes a device which has an electric pump that circulates cold fluid through a pad.
Suppliers should contact the Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) Contractor for guidance on the correct coding of these items.
(https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/article.aspx?articleId=52460)