E0157 — Crutch attachment, walker, each
E0157 is a HCPCS Level II code for crutch attachment, walker, 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 E0157 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 E0157
- Long descriptor
- Crutch attachment, walker, each
- Short descriptor
- Walker crutch attachment
- 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 E0157
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0157 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- 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
- E0153Platform attachment, forearm crutch, each
- E0154Platform attachment, walker, each
- E0155Wheel attachment, rigid pick-up walker, per pair
- E0156Seat attachment, walker
- 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
- E0162Sitz bath chair
- E0163Commode chair, mobile or stationary, with fixed arms
- E0165Commode chair, mobile or stationary, with detachable arms
- E0167Pail or pan for use with commode chair, replacement only
Questions about E0157
What is HCPCS code E0157?
E0157 is a HCPCS Level II code for crutch attachment, walker, each. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0157?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0157 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.