E1038 — Transport chair, adult size, patient weight capacity up to and including 300 pounds
E1038 is a HCPCS Level II code for transport chair, adult size, patient weight capacity up to and including 300 pounds. It belongs to the Durable Medical Equipment section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Special coverage instructions apply
There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
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 E1038 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
- 1 unit MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction
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 E1038
- Long descriptor
- Transport chair, adult size, patient weight capacity up to and including 300 pounds
- Short descriptor
- Transport chair pt wt<=300lb
- Added
- January 1, 2003
- BETOS
- D1D
- Pricing indicator
- 36 — 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.
Capped rental DME. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to E1038
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E1038 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E1030Wheelchair accessory, ventilator tray, gimbaled
- E1031Rollabout chair, any and all types with casters 5" or greater
- E1032Wheelchair accessory, manual swingaway, retractable or removable mounting hardware used with joystick or other drive control interface
- E1033Wheelchair accessory, manual swingaway, retractable or removable mounting hardware for headrest, cushioned, any type
- E1034Wheelchair accessory, manual swingaway, retractable or removable mounting hardware for lateral trunk or hip support, any type
- E1035Multi-positional patient transfer system, with integrated seat, operated by care giver, patient weight capacity up to and including 300 lbs
- E1036Multi-positional patient transfer system, extra-wide, with integrated seat, operated by caregiver, patient weight capacity greater than 300 lbs
- E1037Transport chair, pediatric size
- E1039Transport chair, adult size, heavy duty, patient weight capacity greater than 300 pounds
- E1050Fully-reclining wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable elevating leg rests
- E1060Fully-reclining wheelchair, detachable arms, desk or full length, swing away detachable elevating legrests
- E1070Fully-reclining wheelchair, detachable arms (desk or full length) swing away detachable footrest
- E1083Hemi-wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable elevating leg rest
- E1084Hemi-wheelchair, detachable arms desk or full length arms, swing away detachable elevating leg rests
- E1085Hemi-wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable foot rests
- E1086Hemi-wheelchair detachable arms desk or full length, swing away detachable footrests
Questions about E1038
What is HCPCS code E1038?
E1038 is a HCPCS Level II code for transport chair, adult size, patient weight capacity up to and including 300 pounds. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E1038?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E1038 as "Special coverage instructions apply". There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.