Summary & Overview
HCPCS E0606: Postural Drainage Board
HCPCS Level II code E0606 identifies a postural drainage board, a piece of durable medical equipment used to facilitate airway clearance by positioning patients to promote mucus drainage. The code matters nationally because it supports coverage and billing for non-pharmacologic respiratory support devices that can reduce respiratory complications, improve secretion clearance, and contribute to patient self-management of chronic pulmonary conditions.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for use of a postural drainage board, common payer considerations, and the types of benchmarking and policy elements typically relevant to DME billing. The publication highlights coverage implications, site-of-service expectations (home and outpatient respiratory therapy), and what to review when coding and documenting DME items.
This summary is intended to orient clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts to the purpose of HCPCS Level II code E0606, the payers commonly engaged for DME claims, and the topics covered in the full publication, including national benchmarks, payer policy trends, and clinical use cases. Data not available in the input will be noted in the detailed sections where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code E0606 describes a postural drainage board, a durable medical equipment item used to assist with airway clearance through positioning and gravity-assisted drainage. The service type is durable medical equipment. The typical site of service is home or outpatient respiratory therapy settings, where the device supports chest physiotherapy and pulmonary hygiene for patients with impaired mucus clearance.
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult or pediatric patient with retained bronchial secretions due to chronic or acute respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, neuromuscular weakness, or prolonged immobility. A respiratory therapist or physical therapist evaluates the patient in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation clinic, inpatient acute care ward, or long-term care facility and prescribes use of a E0606 postural drainage board to assist with postural drainage and percussion techniques. The clinical workflow includes assessment of hemodynamic stability and oxygenation, selection of appropriate postural positions to drain targeted lung segments, demonstration of safe transfers on and off the board, instruction in adjunctive airway clearance techniques (active cycle of breathing, chest percussion, or use of devices), and documentation of tolerance and response. Typical sites of service are outpatient pulmonary rehab clinics, inpatient hospital wards, skilled nursing facilities, and patients' homes when durable medical equipment is prescribed for ongoing therapy.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Default/No modifier | Use when no specific modifier applies to the claim for DME supply of E0606. |