L1686 — Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
L1686 is a HCPCS Level II code for hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment. 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 L1686 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 L1686
- Long descriptor
- Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
- Short descriptor
- Ho post-op hip abduction
- Added
- January 1, 1989
- 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 L1686
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L1686 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L1640Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joints, static, pelvic band or spreader bar, thigh cuffs, custom fabricated
- L1650Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joints, static, adjustable, (ilfled type), prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
- L1652Hip orthosis, bilateral thigh cuffs with adjustable abductor spreader bar, adult size, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1653Hip orthosis, bilateral thigh cuffs with adjustable abductor spreader bar, adult size, prefabricated, off the shelf
- L1660Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joints, static, plastic, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
- L1680Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joints, dynamic, pelvic control, adjustable hip motion control, thigh cuffs (rancho hip action type), custom fabricated
- L1681Hip orthosis, bilateral hip joints and thigh cuffs, adjustable flexion, extension, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1685Hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, custom fabricated
- L1690Combination, bilateral, lumbo-sacral, hip, femur orthosis providing adduction and internal rotation control, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment
- L1700Legg perthes orthosis, (toronto type), custom fabricated
- L1710Legg perthes orthosis, (newington type), custom fabricated
- L1720Legg perthes orthosis, trilateral, (tachdijan type), custom fabricated
- L1730Legg perthes orthosis, (scottish rite type), custom fabricated
- L1755Legg perthes orthosis, (patten bottom type), custom fabricated
- L1810Knee orthosis, elastic with joints, prefabricated item that has been trimmed, bent, molded, assembled, or otherwise customized to fit a specific patient by an individual with expertise
- L1812Knee orthosis, elastic with joints, prefabricated, off-the-shelf
Questions about L1686
What is HCPCS code L1686?
L1686 is a HCPCS Level II code for hip orthosis, abduction control of hip joint, postoperative hip abduction type, prefabricated, includes fitting and adjustment. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L1686?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L1686 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.