E0117 — Crutch, underarm, articulating, spring assisted, each
E0117 is a HCPCS Level II code for crutch, underarm, articulating, spring assisted, each. 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 E0117 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
- 2 units 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 E0117
- Long descriptor
- Crutch, underarm, articulating, spring assisted, each
- Short descriptor
- Underarm springassist crutch
- Added
- January 1, 2003
- BETOS
- D1E
- 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 E0117
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0117 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E0100Cane, includes canes of all materials, adjustable or fixed, with tip
- E0105Cane, quad or three prong, includes canes of all materials, adjustable or fixed, with tips
- E0110Crutches, forearm, includes crutches of various materials, adjustable or fixed, pair, complete with tips and handgrips
- E0111Crutch forearm, includes crutches of various materials, adjustable or fixed, each, with tip and handgrips
- E0112Crutches underarm, wood, adjustable or fixed, pair, with pads, tips and handgrips
- E0113Crutch underarm, wood, adjustable or fixed, each, with pad, tip and handgrip
- E0114Crutches underarm, other than wood, adjustable or fixed, pair, with pads, tips and handgrips
- E0116Crutch, underarm, other than wood, adjustable or fixed, with pad, tip, handgrip, with or without shock absorber, each
- E0118Crutch substitute, lower leg platform, with or without wheels, each
- E0130Walker, rigid (pickup), adjustable or fixed height
- E0135Walker, folding (pickup), adjustable or fixed height
- E0140Walker, with trunk support, adjustable or fixed height, any type
- E0141Walker, rigid, wheeled, adjustable or fixed height
- E0143Walker, folding, wheeled, adjustable or fixed height
- E0144Walker, enclosed, four sided framed, rigid or folding, wheeled with posterior seat
- E0147Walker, heavy duty, multiple braking system, variable wheel resistance
Questions about E0117
What is HCPCS code E0117?
E0117 is a HCPCS Level II code for crutch, underarm, articulating, spring assisted, each. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0117?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0117 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.