E0191 — Heel or elbow protector, each
E0191 is a HCPCS Level II code for heel or elbow protector, each. It belongs to the Durable Medical Equipment section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Carrier judgment
Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of E0191 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- outpatient
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- DME supplier
- 0 — never payable MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for E0191
- Long descriptor
- Heel or elbow protector, each
- Short descriptor
- Protector heel or elbow
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- BETOS
- D1E
- Pricing indicator
- 32 — DMEPOS
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Inexpensive and routinely purchased DME. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to E0191
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0191 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E0183Powered pressure reducing underlay/pad, alternating, with pump, includes heavy duty
- E0184Dry pressure mattress
- E0185Gel or gel-like pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
- E0186Air pressure mattress
- E0187Water pressure mattress
- E0188Synthetic sheepskin pad
- E0189Lambswool sheepskin pad, any size
- E0190Positioning cushion/pillow/wedge, any shape or size, includes all components and accessories
- E0193Powered air flotation bed (low air loss therapy)
- E0194Air fluidized bed
- E0196Gel pressure mattress
- E0197Air pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
- E0198Water pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
- E0199Dry pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
- E0200Heat lamp, without stand (table model), includes bulb, or infrared element
- E0201Penile contracture device, manual, greater than 3 lbs traction force
Questions about E0191
What is HCPCS code E0191?
E0191 is a HCPCS Level II code for heel or elbow protector, each. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0191?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0191 as "Carrier judgment". Coverage is decided by your Medicare contractor, not by national policy. Whether this is paid depends on the LCD for your jurisdiction and on what the documentation supports.