E0187 — Water pressure mattress
E0187 is a HCPCS Level II code for water pressure mattress. 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 E0187 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
- 1 unit 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 E0187
- Long descriptor
- Water pressure mattress
- Short descriptor
- Water pressure mattress
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- 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 E0187
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0187 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E0172Seat lift mechanism placed over or on top of toilet, any type
- E0175Foot rest, for use with commode chair, each
- E0181Powered pressure reducing mattress overlay/pad, alternating, with pump, includes heavy duty
- E0182Pump for alternating pressure pad, for replacement only
- E0183Powered pressure reducing underlay/pad, alternating, with pump, includes heavy duty
- E0184Dry pressure mattress
- E0185Gel or gel-like pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
- E0186Air pressure mattress
- E0188Synthetic sheepskin pad
- E0189Lambswool sheepskin pad, any size
- E0190Positioning cushion/pillow/wedge, any shape or size, includes all components and accessories
- E0191Heel or elbow protector, each
- E0193Powered air flotation bed (low air loss therapy)
- E0194Air fluidized bed
- E0196Gel pressure mattress
- E0197Air pressure pad for mattress, standard mattress length and width
Questions about E0187
What is HCPCS code E0187?
E0187 is a HCPCS Level II code for water pressure mattress. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0187?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0187 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.