L2520 — Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, quadri- lateral brim, custom fitted
L2520 is a HCPCS Level II code for addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, quadri- lateral brim, custom fitted. 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 L2520 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
- 2 units MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Anatomic Consideration
- DME supplier
- 2 units MAI 2 — Date of Service Edit: Policy · Anatomic Consideration
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 L2520
- Long descriptor
- Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, quadri- lateral brim, custom fitted
- Short descriptor
- Th/wght bear quad-lat brim c
- 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 L2520
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L2520 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L2397Addition to lower extremity orthosis, suspension sleeve
- L2405Addition to knee joint, drop lock, each
- L2415Addition to knee lock with integrated release mechanism (bail, cable, or equal), any material, each joint
- L2425Addition to knee joint, disc or dial lock for adjustable knee flexion, each joint
- L2430Addition to knee joint, ratchet lock for active and progressive knee extension, each joint
- L2492Addition to knee joint, lift loop for drop lock ring
- L2500Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, gluteal/ ischial weight bearing, ring
- L2510Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, quadri- lateral brim, molded to patient model
- L2525Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, ischial containment/narrow m-l brim molded to patient model
- L2526Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, ischial containment/narrow m-l brim, custom fitted
- L2530Addition to lower extremity, thigh-weight bearing, lacer, non-molded
- L2540Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, lacer, molded to patient model
- L2550Addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, high roll cuff
- L2570Addition to lower extremity, pelvic control, hip joint, clevis type two position joint, each
- L2580Addition to lower extremity, pelvic control, pelvic sling
- L2600Addition to lower extremity, pelvic control, hip joint, clevis type, or thrust bearing, free, each
Questions about L2520
What is HCPCS code L2520?
L2520 is a HCPCS Level II code for addition to lower extremity, thigh/weight bearing, quadri- lateral brim, custom fitted. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L2520?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L2520 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.