L1836 — Knee orthosis, rigid, without joint(s), includes soft interface material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
L1836 is a HCPCS Level II code for knee orthosis, rigid, without joint(s), includes soft interface material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf. It belongs to the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices 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 L1836 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
- 2 units MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Anatomic Consideration
- DME supplier
- 2 units MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Anatomic Consideration
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 L1836
- Long descriptor
- Knee orthosis, rigid, without joint(s), includes soft interface material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
- Short descriptor
- Ko rigid w/o joints pre ots
- Added
- January 1, 2003
- BETOS
- D1F
- Pricing indicator
- 38 — 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.
Orthotics, prosthetics, prosthetic devices and vision services. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to L1836
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L1836 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L1812Knee orthosis, elastic with joints, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
- L1820Knee orthosis, elastic with condylar pads and joints, with or without patellar control, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1821Knee orthosis, elastic with condylar pads and joints, with or without patellar control, prefabricated, off the shelf
- L1830Knee orthosis, immobilizer, canvas longitudinal, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
- L1831Knee orthosis, locking knee joint(s), positional orthosis, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
- L1832Knee orthosis, adjustable knee joints (unicentric or polycentric), positional orthosis, rigid support, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1833Knee orthosis, adjustable knee joints (unicentric or polycentric), positional orthosis, rigid support, prefabricated, off-the shelf
- L1834Knee orthosis, without knee joint, rigid, custom fabricated
- L1840Knee orthosis, derotation, medial-lateral, anterior cruciate ligament, custom fabricated
- L1843Knee orthosis, single upright, thigh and calf, with adjustable flexion and extension joint (unicentric or polycentric), medial-lateral and rotation control, with or without varus/valgus adjustment, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1844Knee orthosis, single upright, thigh and calf, with adjustable flexion and extension joint (unicentric or polycentric), medial-lateral and rotation control, with or without varus/valgus adjustment, custom fabricated
- L1845Knee orthosis, double upright, thigh and calf, with adjustable flexion and extension joint (unicentric or polycentric), medial-lateral and rotation control, with or without varus/valgus adjustment, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1846Knee orthosis, double upright, thigh and calf, with adjustable flexion and extension joint (unicentric or polycentric), medial-lateral and rotation control, with or without varus/valgus adjustment, custom fabricated
- L1847Knee orthosis, double upright with adjustable joint, with inflatable air support chamber(s), prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1848Knee orthosis, double upright with adjustable joint, with inflatable air support chamber(s), prefabricated, off-the-shelf
- L1850Knee orthosis, swedish type, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
Questions about L1836
What is HCPCS code L1836?
L1836 is a HCPCS Level II code for knee orthosis, rigid, without joint(s), includes soft interface material, prefabricated, off-the-shelf. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L1836?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L1836 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.