410-122-0700 Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Pumps (1) Indications and limitations of coverage and medical appropriateness — Initial Coverage: The Division may cover a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) pump and supplies on a monthly basis for up to four months on the most recent covered wound when either criterion (a) or (b) is met: (a) Ulcers and wounds in the home setting or nursing facility: (A) The client has a chronic Stage III or IV pressure ulcer, neuropathic (for example, diabetic) ulcer, venous or arterial insufficiency ulcer, or a chronic (being present for at least 30 days) ulcer of mixed etiology; (B) A complete wound therapy program described by criterion (i) and criteria (ii), (iii), or (iv), as applicable depending on the type of wound, must have been tried or considered and ruled out prior to application of NPWT: (i) For all ulcers or wounds, the wound therapy program must include a minimum of all of the following general measures, which have either been addressed, applied, or considered and ruled out prior to application of NPWT: (I) Documentation in the client's medical record of evaluation, care, and wound measurements by a licensed medical professional; (II) Application of dressings to maintain a moist wound environment; (III) Debridement of necrotic tissue if present; (IV) Evaluation of and provision for adequate nutritional status; (ii) For Stage III or IV pressure ulcers: (I) Appropriate turning and positioning of the client; (II) Use of a Group 2 or 3 support surface for pressure ulcers on the posterior trunk or pelvis (see 410-122-0400 Pressure Reducing Support Surfaces). If the ulcer is not on the trunk or pelvis, a Group 2 or 3 support surface is not required; and (III) Appropriate management of the client's moisture and incontinence; (iii) For neuropathic (for example, diabetic) ulcers: (I) The client has been on a comprehensive diabetic management program, and; (II) Reduction in pressure on a foot ulcer has been accomplished with appropriate modalities; (iv) For venous insufficiency ulcers: (I) Compression bandages and/or garments have been consistently applied, and; (II) Leg elevation and ambulation have been encouraged; (b) Ulcers and wounds encountered in an inpatient setting: (A) An ulcer or wound as described in subsection (1)(a) is encountered in the inpatient setting and, after wound treatments described in subsection (1)(a) have been tried or considered and ruled out, NPWT is initiated because the treating practitioner considers it the best available treatment option; (B) The client has complications of a surgically created wound (for example, dehiscence) or a traumatic wound (for example, pre-operative flap or graft) where there is documentation of the medical appropriateness for accelerated formation of granulation tissue which cannot be achieved by other available topical wound treatments (for example, other conditions of the client that will not allow for healing times achievable with other topical wound treatments); (c) In either situation described in subsection (1)(b), NPWT will be covered when treatment continuation is ordered beyond discharge to the home setting; (d) If criterion in subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b) above is not met, the NPWT pump and supplies are not covered; (e) NPWT pumps (E2402) must be capable of accommodating more than one wound dressing set for multiple wounds on a client. A request for more than one NPWT pump per client for the same time period is not covered; (f) For the purposes of this rule, a licensed health care professional may be a physician, physician's associate (PA), registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), or physical therapist (PT). The practitioner must be licensed to assess wounds and/or administer wound care. (2) Indications and limitations of coverage and medical appropriateness — Continued Coverage: For wounds and ulcers described in subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b), for clients placed on an NPWT pump and supplies, the Division will only approve continued coverage when the licensed medical professional does all the following duties: (a) On a regular basis: (A) Directly assesses the wound(s) being treated with the NPWT pump; and (B) Supervises or directly performs the NPWT dressing changes; (b) On at least a monthly basis, documents changes in the ulcer's dimensions and characteristics. (3) Coverage for a NPWT pump and supplies ends when any of the following occur: (a) Criteria in section (2) are not met; (b) The treating physician determines that adequate wound healing has occurred for NPWT to be discontinued; (c) Any measurable degree of wound healing has failed to occur over the prior month. Wound healing is defined as improvement occurring in either surface area (length times width) or depth of the wound; (d) Four months (including the time NPWT was applied in an inpatient setting prior to discharge to the home) have elapsed using an NPWT pump in the treatment of the most recent wound. Coverage beyond four months will be given individual consideration based upon required additional documentation; (e) Equipment or supplies are no longer being used for the client, whether or not by the physician's order. (4) The Division will not cover NPWT pump and supplies if one or more of the following are present: (a) Necrotic tissue with eschar in the wound, if debridement is not attempted; (b) Untreated osteomyelitis within the vicinity of the wound; (c) Cancer present in the wound; (d) The presence of a fistula to an organ or body cavity within the vicinity of the wound. (5) The Division will only cover NPWT pumps and their supplies that have been specifically designated as being qualified for use of HCPCS codes E2402, A6550 and A7000 via written instructions from the Medicare Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) contractor. (6) The Division covers a maximum of 15 dressing kits (A6550) per wound per month, unless there is documentation that the wound size requires more than one dressing kit for each dressing change. (7) The Division covers a maximum of 10 canister sets (A7000) per month, unless there is documentation evidencing a large volume of drainage (greater than 90 ml of exudate per day). For high-volume exudative wounds, a stationary pump with the largest capacity canister must be used. The Division does not cover excess use of canisters related to equipment failure (as opposed to excessive volume drainage). (8) Guidelines: (a) Equipment: (A) Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is the controlled application of subatmospheric pressure to a wound. Specifically, an electrical pump (described in the definition of code E2402) intermittently or continuously conveys subatmospheric pressure through connecting tubing to a specialized wound dressing (described in the descriptor of HCPCS code A6550). The dressing includes a resilient, open-cell foam surface dressing, sealed with an occlusive dressing that is meant to contain the subatmospheric pressure at the wound site and thereby promote wound healing. Drainage from the wound is collected in a canister (described in the definition of HCPCS code A7000); (B) Code E2402 describes a stationary or portable NPWT electrical pump which provides controlled subatmospheric pressure that is designed for use with NPWT dressings, (A6550) to promote wound healing. Such an NPWT pump is capable of being selectively switched between continuous and intermittent modes of operation and is controllable to adjust the degree of subatmospheric pressure conveyed to the wound in a range from 25 to greater than or equal to 200 mm Hg subatmospheric pressure. The pump can sound an audible alarm when desired pressures are not being achieved (that is, where there is a leak in the dressing seal) and when its wound drainage canister (A7000) is full. The pump is designed to fill the canister to full capacity; (b) Supplies: (A) Code A6550 describes a dressing set which is used in conjunction with a stationary or portable NPWT pump (E2402), and contains all necessary components, including but not limited to a resilient, open-cell foam surface dressing, drainage tubing, and an occlusive dressing which creates a seal around the wound site for maintaining subatmospheric pressure at the wound; (B) Code A7000 describes a canister set which is used in conjunction with a stationary or portable NPWT pump (E2402) and contains all necessary components, including but not limited to a container, to collect wound exudate. Canisters may be various sizes to accommodate stationary or portable NPWT pumps; (c) The staging of pressure ulcers used in this rule is as follows: (A) Stage I — Observable pressure related alteration of intact skin whose indicators as compared to the adjacent or opposite area on the body may include changes in one or more of the following: skin temperature (warmth or coolness), tissue consistency (firm or boggy feel) and/or sensation (pain, itching). The ulcer appears as a defined area of persistent redness in lightly pigmented skin, whereas in darker skin tones, the ulcer may appear with persistent red, blue, or purple hues; (B) Stage II — Partial thickness skin loss involving epidermis, dermis, or both. The ulcer is superficial and presents clinically as an abrasion, blister, or shallow crater; (C) Stage III — Full thickness skin loss involving damage to, or necrosis of, subcutaneous tissue that may extend down to, but not through, underlying fascia. The ulcer presents clinically as a deep crater with or without undermining of adjacent tissue; (D) Stage IV — Full thickness skin loss with extensive destruction, tissue necrosis, or damage to muscle, bone, or supporting structures (e.g., tendon, joint capsule). Undermining and sinus tracts also may be associated with Stage IV pressure ulcers. (9) Documentation Requirements: Submit the following information with the prior authorization request: (a) For initial coverage: (A) A statement from the attending physician which describes the initial condition of the wound (including measurements) and the efforts to address all aspects of wound care as specified in subsection (1)(a); (B) From the treating clinician, history, previous treatment regimens (if applicable), and current wound management for which an NPWT pump is being requested to include the following: (i) Changes in wound conditions, including precise, quantitative measurements of wound characteristics (wound length and width (surface area), and depth), quantity of exudates (drainage), presence of granulation and necrotic tissue and concurrent measures being addressed relevant to wound therapy (debridement, nutritional concerns, support surfaces in use, positioning, incontinence control, etc.); (ii) Dated photographs of ulcers or wounds with specific location(s) identified within the last 30 days; (iii) Length of sessions of use; (iv) Dressing types and frequency of change; (v) Wound healing progress; (b) For Continued Coverage: (A) Progress notes from the attending physician within the last 30 days; (B) Updated wound measurements and what changes are being applied to effect wound healing including information specified in paragraph (9)(a)(B); (c) For both initial and continued coverage of an NPWT pump and supplies, any other medical records that corroborate that all criteria in this rule are met; (d) When requesting quantities of supplies greater than those specified in this rule as the usual maximum amounts, include documentation supporting the medical appropriateness for the higher utilization. (10) Table 122-0700. [ED. NOTE: Tables referenced are available from the agency.] Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 413.042 & 414.065 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 414.065 History: DMAP 8-2025, minor correction filed 01/09/2025, effective 01/09/2025 DMAP 29-2024, minor correction filed 01/04/2024, effective 01/04/2024 DMAP 101-2023, amend filed 12/29/2023, effective 01/01/2024 DMAP 67-2023, minor correction filed 08/11/2023, effective 08/11/2023 DMAP 15-2009, f. 6-12-09, cert. ef. 7-1-09 OMAP 47-2006, f. 12-15-06, cert. ef. 1-1-07 OMAP 25-2006, f. 6-14-06, cert. ef. 7-1-06 OMAP 44-2004, f. & cert. ef. 7-1-04 OMAP 25-2004, f. & cert. ef. 4-1-04 OMAP 47-2002, f. & cert. ef. 10-1-02 OMAP 32-2001, f. 9-24-01, cert. ef. 10-1-01 OMAP 4-2001, f. 3-30-01, cert. ef. 4-1-01 OMAP 37-2000, f. 9-29-00, cert. ef. 10-1-00 OMAP 13-1999, f. & cert. ef. 4-1-99 OMAP 11-1998, f. & cert. ef. 4-1-98