E0948 — Fracture frame, attachments for complex cervical traction
E0948 is a HCPCS Level II code for fracture frame, attachments for complex cervical traction. 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 E0948 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 E0948
- Long descriptor
- Fracture frame, attachments for complex cervical traction
- Short descriptor
- Fracture frame attachmnts ce
- 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 E0948
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If E0948 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- E0936Continuous passive motion exercise device for use other than knee
- E0940Trapeze bar, free standing, complete with grab bar
- E0941Gravity assisted traction device, any type
- E0942Cervical head harness/halter
- E0944Pelvic belt/harness/boot
- E0945Extremity belt/harness
- E0946Fracture, frame, dual with cross bars, attached to bed, (e.g., balken, 4 poster)
- E0947Fracture frame, attachments for complex pelvic traction
- E0950Wheelchair accessory, tray, each
- E0951Heel loop/holder, any type, with or without ankle strap, each
- E0952Toe loop/holder, any type, each
- E0953Wheelchair accessory, lateral thigh or knee support, any type including fixed mounting hardware, each
- E0954Wheelchair accessory, foot box, any type, includes attachment and mounting hardware, each foot
- E0955Wheelchair accessory, headrest, cushioned, any type, including fixed mounting hardware, each
- E0956Wheelchair accessory, lateral trunk or hip support, any type, including fixed mounting hardware, each
- E0957Wheelchair accessory, medial thigh support, any type, including fixed mounting hardware, each
Questions about E0948
What is HCPCS code E0948?
E0948 is a HCPCS Level II code for fracture frame, attachments for complex cervical traction. It sits in the Durable Medical Equipment section.
Does Medicare cover E0948?
The CMS HCPCS file marks E0948 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.