L8609 — Artificial cornea
L8609 is a HCPCS Level II code for artificial cornea. 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 L8609 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
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: Data
- outpatient
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Clinical: Data
- 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 L8609
- Long descriptor
- Artificial cornea
- Short descriptor
- Artificial cornea
- Added
- January 1, 2006
- 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 L8609
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L8609 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L8515Gelatin capsule, application device for use with tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis, each
- L8600Implantable breast prosthesis, silicone or equal
- L8603Injectable bulking agent, collagen implant, urinary tract, 2.5 ml syringe, includes shipping and necessary supplies
- L8604Injectable bulking agent, dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer implant, urinary tract, 1 ml, includes shipping and necessary supplies
- L8605Injectable bulking agent, dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer implant, anal canal, 1 ml, includes shipping and necessary supplies
- L8606Injectable bulking agent, synthetic implant, urinary tract, 1 ml syringe, includes shipping and necessary supplies
- L8607Injectable bulking agent for vocal cord medialization, 0.1 ml, includes shipping and necessary supplies
- L8608Miscellaneous external component, supply or accessory for use with the argus ii retinal prosthesis system
- L8610Ocular implant
- L8612Aqueous shunt
- L8613Ossicula implant
- L8614Cochlear device, includes all internal and external components
- L8615Headset/headpiece for use with cochlear implant device, replacement
- L8616Microphone for use with cochlear implant device, replacement
- L8617Transmitting coil for use with cochlear implant device, replacement
- L8618Transmitter cable for use with cochlear implant device or auditory osseointegrated device, replacement
Questions about L8609
What is HCPCS code L8609?
L8609 is a HCPCS Level II code for artificial cornea. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L8609?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L8609 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.