E1297 — Special wheelchair seat depth, by upholstery
E1297 is a HCPCS Level II code for special wheelchair seat depth, by upholstery. 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 E1297 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 · Published Contractor 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 E1297
- Long descriptor
- Special wheelchair seat depth, by upholstery
- Short descriptor
- Wheelchair special seat dept
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- BETOS
- D1D
- 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 E1297
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E1297 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E1250Lightweight wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable footrest
- E1260Lightweight wheelchair, detachable arms (desk or full length) swing away detachable footrest
- E1270Lightweight wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable elevating legrests
- E1280Heavy duty wheelchair, detachable arms (desk or full length) elevating legrests
- E1285Heavy duty wheelchair, fixed full length arms, swing away detachable footrest
- E1290Heavy duty wheelchair, detachable arms (desk or full length) swing away detachable footrest
- E1295Heavy duty wheelchair, fixed full length arms, elevating legrest
- E1296Special wheelchair seat height from floor
- E1298Special wheelchair seat depth and/or width, by construction
- E1300Whirlpool, portable (overtub type)
- E1301Whirlpool tub, walk-in, portable
- E1310Whirlpool, non-portable (built-in type)
- E1352Oxygen accessory, flow regulator capable of positive inspiratory pressure
- E1353Regulator
- E1354Oxygen accessory, wheeled cart for portable cylinder or portable concentrator, any type, replacement only, each
- E1355Stand/rack
Questions about E1297
What is HCPCS code E1297?
E1297 is a HCPCS Level II code for special wheelchair seat depth, by upholstery. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E1297?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E1297 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.