E0221 — Infrared heating pad system
E0221 is a HCPCS Level II code for infrared heating pad system. 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 E0221 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 E0221
- Long descriptor
- Infrared heating pad system
- Short descriptor
- Infrared heating pad system
- Added
- January 1, 2002
- BETOS
- D1E
- Pricing indicator
- 00 — Not priced by Part B
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.
Service not separately priced by Part B — not covered, bundled into another service, or used by Part A only.
Codes adjacent to E0221
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0221 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E0201Penile contracture device, manual, greater than 3 lbs traction force
- E0202Phototherapy (bilirubin) light with photometer
- E0203Therapeutic lightbox, minimum 10,000 lux, table top model
- E0205Heat lamp, with stand, includes bulb, or infrared element
- E0210Electric heat pad, standard
- E0215Electric heat pad, moist
- E0217Water circulating heat pad with pump
- E0218Fluid circulating cold pad with pump, any type
- E0225Hydrocollator unit, includes pads
- E0231Non-contact wound warming device (temperature control unit, ac adapter and power cord) for use with warming card and wound cover
- E0232Warming card for use with the non contact wound warming device and non contact wound warming wound cover
- E0235Paraffin bath unit, portable (see medical supply code a4265 for paraffin)
- E0236Pump for water circulating pad
- E0239Hydrocollator unit, portable
- E0240Bath/shower chair, with or without wheels, any size
- E0241Bath tub wall rail, each
Questions about E0221
What is HCPCS code E0221?
E0221 is a HCPCS Level II code for infrared heating pad system. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0221?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0221 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.