L1220 — Addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior thoracic extension
L1220 is a HCPCS Level II code for addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior thoracic extension. It belongs to the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices 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 L1220 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
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Nature of Equipment
- DME supplier
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Nature of Equipment
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 L1220
- Long descriptor
- Addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior thoracic extension
- Short descriptor
- Anterior thoracic extension
- Added
- January 1, 1986
- BETOS
- D1F
- Pricing indicator
- 38 — 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.
Orthotics, prosthetics, prosthetic devices and vision services. Price subject to floors and ceilings.
Codes adjacent to L1220
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L1220 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L1080Addition to ctlso or scoliosis orthosis, outrigger
- L1085Addition to ctlso or scoliosis orthosis, outrigger, bilateral with vertical extensions
- L1090Addition to ctlso or scoliosis orthosis, lumbar sling
- L1100Addition to ctlso or scoliosis orthosis, ring flange, plastic or leather
- L1110Addition to ctlso or scoliosis orthosis, ring flange, plastic or leather, molded to patient model
- L1120Addition to ctlso, scoliosis orthosis, cover for upright, each
- L1200Thoracic-lumbar-sacral-orthosis (tlso), inclusive of furnishing initial orthosis only
- L1210Addition to tlso, (low profile), lateral thoracic extension
- L1230Addition to tlso, (low profile), milwaukee type superstructure
- L1240Addition to tlso, (low profile), lumbar derotation pad
- L1250Addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior asis pad
- L1260Addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior thoracic derotation pad
- L1270Addition to tlso, (low profile), abdominal pad
- L1280Addition to tlso, (low profile), rib gusset (elastic), each
- L1290Addition to tlso, (low profile), lateral trochanteric pad
- L1300Other scoliosis procedure, body jacket molded to patient model
Questions about L1220
What is HCPCS code L1220?
L1220 is a HCPCS Level II code for addition to tlso, (low profile), anterior thoracic extension. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L1220?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L1220 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.