L3440 — Heel, counter, leather reinforced
L3440 is a HCPCS Level II code for heel, counter, leather reinforced. It belongs to the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices 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 L3440 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 L3440
- Long descriptor
- Heel, counter, leather reinforced
- Short descriptor
- Heel leather reinforced
- Added
- January 1, 1984
- BETOS
- D1F
- 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 L3440
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L3440 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L3360Sole wedge, outside sole
- L3370Sole wedge, between sole
- L3380Clubfoot wedge
- L3390Outflare wedge
- L3400Metatarsal bar wedge, rocker
- L3410Metatarsal bar wedge, between sole
- L3420Full sole and heel wedge, between sole
- L3430Heel, counter, plastic reinforced
- L3450Heel, sach cushion type
- L3455Heel, new leather, standard
- L3460Heel, new rubber, standard
- L3465Heel, thomas with wedge
- L3470Heel, thomas extended to ball
- L3480Heel, pad and depression for spur
- L3485Heel, pad, removable for spur
- L3500Orthopedic shoe addition, insole, leather
Questions about L3440
What is HCPCS code L3440?
L3440 is a HCPCS Level II code for heel, counter, leather reinforced. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L3440?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L3440 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.