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The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that a determination of the type of knee for the prosthesis will be made by the treating 
practitioner and/or the prosthetist based upon the functional needs of the beneficiary. Basic lower extremity 
prostheses include a single axis, constant friction knee. Other prosthetic knees are considered for coverage 
based upon functional classification. 
 
Other knee systems (L5611, L5616, L5710, L5711, L5712, L5714, L5716, L5718, L5810, L5811, L5812, 
L5816, L5818) are covered for beneficiaries whose functional level is 1 or above. 
 
Coverage is extended only if there is sufficient clinical documentation of functional need for the technologic or 
design feature of a given type of knee. This information must be retained in the treating practitioner's or 
prosthetist's files. 
 
A determination of the type of foot for the prosthesis will be made by the treating practitioner and/or the 
prosthetist based upon the functional needs of the beneficiary. Basic lower extremity prostheses include a 
SACH foot. Other prosthetic feet are considered for coverage based upon functional classification. 
 
An external keel SACH foot (L5970) or single axis ankle/foot (L5974) is covered for beneficiaries whose 
functional level is 1 or above. 
 
An axial rotation unit (L5982, L5984, L5985, L5986) is covered for beneficiaries whose functional level is 2 or 
above. You can find these rules in the Local Coverage Determination LCD Lower Limb Prostheses L33787 
 
 
 
 The rules says when submitting a prosthetic claim, the billed code for knee, foot, ankle and hip (HCPCS codes 
L5610, L5611, L5613, L5614, L5616, L5710, L5711, L5712, L5714, L5716, L5718, L5722, L5724, L5726, 
L5728, L5780, L5810, L5811, L5812, L5814, L5816, L5818, L5822, L5824, L5826, L5828, L5830, L5840, 
L5848, L5856, L5857, L5858, L5859, L5930, L5961, L5970, L5971, L5972, L5973, L5974, L5975, L5976, 
L5978, L5979, L5980, L5981, L5982, L5984, L5985, L5986, L5987) components must be submitted with 
modifiers K0 - K4, indicating the expected beneficiary functional level. This expectation of functional ability 
information must be clearly documented and retained in the prosthetist's records. The simple entry of a K 
modifier in those records is not sufficient. There must be information about the beneficiarys history and 
current condition which supports the designation of the functional level by the prosthetist. 
 
Addition codes for endoskeletal knee-shin systems are L5610, L5611, L5613, L5616, L5810, L5811, L5812, 
L5814, L5816, L5818, L5822, L5824, L5826, L5828, L5830, L5840 are considered an upgrade to the knee-
shin system. The beneficiary may qualify for an upgraded knee-shin system based on their assigned K-Level 
modifier (K0-K4), as referenced in the LCD. These HCPCS codes can fully describe a complete prosthetic 
knee-shin system commonly referred to as a base knee code. A single addition code can fully describe a 
complete knee-shin system and thus the use of two codes (L5610, L5611, L5613, L5616, L5810, L5811, 
L5812, L5814, L5816, L5818, L5822, L5824, L5826, L5828, L5830, L5840) would be considered incorrect 
coding (unbundling). 
 
L5925, L5930, L5845, L5848, L5850, L5856, L5857, L5858, L5859 are additional features and/or functions 
that do not describe a complete endoskeletal knee-shin system and must be used in combination with an L-code 
for a knee-shin system (L5610, L5611, L5613, L5616, L5810, L5811, L5812, L5814, L5816, L5818, L5822, 
L5824, L5826, L5828, L5830, L5840). The use of additional feature L-codes may also depend on the assigned 
K-Level modifier (K0-K4), as referenced in the LCD. 
 
ANKLE AND LOWER EXTREMITY MOTION UNITS 
 
Codes L5968, L5982, L5984, L5985, L5986 and L5988 describe separate products which provide either a 
single motion or a combination of motions generally attributed to functional movement of the lower limb 
during ambulation. The use of these codes can be used to fully describe additional features or functions not 
found in the prosthetic foot system (L5969, L5970, L5971, L5972, L5973, L5974, L5975, L5976, L5978, 
L5979 L5980, L5981 and L5987). 
 
Addition codes for lower extremity prostheses, L5970, L5971, L5972, L5974, L5975, L5976, L5978, L5979, 
L5980, L5981, L5987 are considered an upgrade to the SACH foot. The beneficiary may qualify for an 
upgraded prosthetic foot based on their assigned K-level modifier (K0-K4) as referenced in the LCD. A single 
addition code (L5970, L5971, L5972, L5974, L5975, L5976, L5978, L5979, L5980, L5981, L5987) can fully 
describe a complete foot and thus the use of more than one code would be considered incorrect coding 
(unbundling). 
 
L5968, L5982, L5984, L5985, L5986, L5988, L5990 are additional features and/or functions that do not 
describe a complete prosthetic foot and may be used in combination with L5970, L5971, L5972, L5974, 
L5975, L5976, L5978, L5979, L5980, L5981, and L5987. The use of additional feature L-codes may also 
depend on the assigned K-Level modifier (K0-K4) as referenced in the LCD. 
 
L5986 describes a product that is used as an addition to L-code foot systems for lower limb prosthesis 
construction. The product provides multiaxial motion in all three planes of motion, sagittal, coronal, and 
transverse. This code does not describe the multiaxial motion achieved from the inherent flexibility of the 
prosthetic keel or a split keel/heel prosthetic foot design. The predicate product is a device that was 
manufactured by Medical Center Prosthetic, which is represented in the coding narrative by MCP. 
 
 Use of L5968, L5982, L5984 or L5986 is based on the beneficiarys K-level modifier (K0-K4), as referenced 
in the LCD. You can find these rules in the Local Coverage Article: Lower Limb Prostheses - Policy Article 
(A52496) 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.