Summary & Overview
HCPCS E0293: Hospital Bed, Variable Height Hi-Lo, No Rails, No Mattress
HCPCS Level II code E0293 represents a hospital bed of variable height (hi-lo) supplied without side rails and without a mattress. As a category of durable medical equipment used in institutional care settings, this code captures reimbursement and coverage for a common bed configuration used in hospitals, long-term care, and similar facilities. Nationally, accurate coding for hospital beds matters for care operations, inventory management, billing integrity, and appropriate allocation of facility resources.
Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of coverage and coding context for E0293, typical sites of service and clinical use cases, and benchmarking information where available. The publication summarizes payer coverage patterns, common billing modifiers reported with hospital bed equipment claims, and operational considerations for facilities managing DME inventory.
This resource provides clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts with a concise reference to the code’s clinical purpose, the payer landscape, and the types of documentation and claim line elements commonly associated with institutional hospital bed deliveries. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code E0293 describes a hospital bed, variable height, hi-lo, without side rails, without mattress. This item is a durable medical equipment (DME) product intended to provide adjustable bed height for patient care, typically used when a facility-grade bed is required but side rails and mattress are furnished separately.
Service type: Durable Medical Equipment (DME) — hospital bed (variable height, hi-lo)
Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital settings, long-term care facilities, and other institutional care sites where hospital-style beds are used
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A patient with limited mobility is discharged from an acute care hospital and requires a home hospital bed to support safe transfers, pressure redistribution, and variable-height positioning. Typical candidates include patients recovering from major surgery, those with advanced neurologic disorders, severe weakness after prolonged hospitalization, or palliative patients needing easier caregiver access. The durable medical equipment (DME) supplier receives an order from the discharging physician specifying a E0293 hospital bed, variable height (hi-lo), without side rails and without mattress.
The clinical workflow begins with the physician documenting medical necessity in the chart (diagnosis, functional limitations, expected duration of need, and home environment). The DME supplier verifies payer eligibility and coverage criteria, collects any required face-to-face documentation, schedules home delivery and setup, and documents delivery, patient/caregiver education, and a signed proof of delivery. If applicable, prior authorization is obtained from payors such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, BUCA, or Medicare. For Medicare beneficiaries, supplier documentation must meet Medicare coverage guidelines for hospital beds including clinician’s statement of medical necessity and supporting clinical notes.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 |