E0153 — Platform attachment, forearm crutch, each
E0153 is a HCPCS Level II code for platform attachment, forearm crutch, each. It belongs to the Durable Medical Equipment 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 E0153 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 · 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 E0153
- Long descriptor
- Platform attachment, forearm crutch, each
- Short descriptor
- Forearm crutch platform atta
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- BETOS
- D1E
- 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 E0153
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0153 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- 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
- E0148Walker, heavy duty, without wheels, rigid or folding, any type, each
- E0149Walker, heavy duty, wheeled, rigid or folding, any type
- E0150Combination wheeled walker with seat and transport chair, folding, adjustable or fixed height
- E0152Walker, battery powered, wheeled, folding, adjustable or fixed height
- E0154Platform attachment, walker, each
- E0155Wheel attachment, rigid pick-up walker, per pair
- E0156Seat attachment, walker
- E0157Crutch attachment, walker, each
- E0158Leg extensions for walker, per set of four (4)
- E0159Brake attachment for wheeled walker, replacement, each
- E0160Sitz type bath or equipment, portable, used with or without commode
- E0161Sitz type bath or equipment, portable, used with or without commode, with faucet attachment/s
Questions about E0153
What is HCPCS code E0153?
E0153 is a HCPCS Level II code for platform attachment, forearm crutch, each. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0153?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0153 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.