L7170 — Electronic elbow, hosmer or equal, switch controlled
L7170 is a HCPCS Level II code for electronic elbow, hosmer or equal, switch controlled. 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 L7170 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 L7170
- Long descriptor
- Electronic elbow, hosmer or equal, switch controlled
- Short descriptor
- Electronic elbow hosmer swit
- Added
- January 1, 1988
- 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 L7170
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If L7170 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- L6965Shoulder disarticulation, external power, molded inner socket, removable shoulder shell, shoulder bulkhead, humeral section, mechanical elbow, forearm, otto bock or equal electrodes, cables, two batteries and one charger, myoelectronic control of terminal device
- L6970Interscapular-thoracic, external power, molded inner socket, removable shoulder shell, shoulder bulkhead, humeral section, mechanical elbow, forearm, otto bock or equal switch, cables, two batteries and one charger, switch control of terminal device
- L6975Interscapular-thoracic, external power, molded inner socket, removable shoulder shell, shoulder bulkhead, humeral section, mechanical elbow, forearm, otto bock or equal electrodes, cables, two batteries and one charger, myoelectronic control of terminal device
- L7007Electric hand, switch or myoelectric controlled, adult
- L7008Electric hand, switch or myoelectric, controlled, pediatric
- L7009Electric hook, switch or myoelectric controlled, adult
- L7040Prehensile actuator, switch controlled
- L7045Electric hook, switch or myoelectric controlled, pediatric
- L7180Electronic elbow, microprocessor sequential control of elbow and terminal device
- L7181Electronic elbow, microprocessor simultaneous control of elbow and terminal device
- L7185Electronic elbow, adolescent, variety village or equal, switch controlled
- L7186Electronic elbow, child, variety village or equal, switch controlled
- L7190Electronic elbow, adolescent, variety village or equal, myoelectronically controlled
- L7191Electronic elbow, child, variety village or equal, myoelectronically controlled
- L7259Electronic wrist rotator, any type
- L7260Electronic wrist rotator, otto bock or equalterminated
Questions about L7170
What is HCPCS code L7170?
L7170 is a HCPCS Level II code for electronic elbow, hosmer or equal, switch controlled. It sits in the Orthotic and Prosthetic Procedures and Devices section.
Does Medicare cover L7170?
The CMS HCPCS file marks L7170 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.