Summary & Overview
HCPCS Level II E0276: Bed Pan for Fracture, Metal or Plastic
HCPCS Level II code E0276 denotes a metal or plastic fracture bed pan, a durable medical equipment item used to assist patients with limited mobility due to fractures or postoperative restrictions. Nationally, billing clarity for specialized assistive devices like fracture bed pans matters for inpatient, long-term care, and home health billing workflows and equipment provisioning.
Key payers referenced include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the code's clinical context, common sites of service, and the payer landscape relevant to coverage and claims processing. The publication summarizes available benchmarks where present, highlights relevant policy considerations that affect reimbursement and supply sourcing, and outlines typical billing practice considerations for service lines that supply or bill for durable medical equipment.
This resource is intended to help billing managers, DME suppliers, hospital revenue staff, and policy analysts understand the purpose of E0276, the settings where it is commonly used, and the payer mix commonly encountered in national billing scenarios. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code E0276 describes a bed pan designed for fracture patients, constructed of metal or plastic. This item is categorized as durable medical equipment intended to assist patients with limited mobility or with lower extremity or hip fractures who cannot use a standard toilet.
Service type: Durable medical equipment / patient assistive device
Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital, long-term care facility, skilled nursing facility, or home health settings
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an older adult admitted to an acute care hospital or receiving skilled nursing services who has limited mobility due to orthopedic injury, recent fracture, postoperative status, or severe weakness from medical illness. The patient is unable to get out of bed safely and requires a fracture bedpan for toileting to avoid disrupting surgical sites or immobilization devices. The clinical workflow begins with nursing assessment of toileting needs and mobility restrictions, order entry by the physician or advanced practice clinician specifying use of a fracture bedpan, bedside delivery of the device by nursing or durable medical equipment (DME) personnel, use during toileting episodes with appropriate hygiene and documentation, and removal/cleaning or disposal per facility protocol. Documentation includes the medical necessity (immobility, weight-bearing restrictions, hip fracture, recent posterior spinal surgery, or unstable fractures), the device supplied (E0276), date/time of issue, and patient tolerance and assistance level during use.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
52 | Reduced services | Use when the fracture bedpan service or supply was provided at less than the usual scope or quantity. |