Summary & Overview
HCPCS E2388: Power Wheelchair Foam Drive Wheel Tire, Replacement
HCPCS Level II code E2388 denotes a replacement foam drive wheel tire for power wheelchairs, billed per item. This code identifies a common durable medical equipment (DME) accessory used in wheelchair maintenance and mobility support. Nationally, proper coding of accessories like foam tires affects coverage determinations, claims accuracy, and patient access to functional mobility devices.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication summarizes coverage considerations, billing benchmarks, and clinical context for coding E2388, including common scenarios where replacement tires are supplied by DME suppliers, outpatient clinics, or during in-home repairs.
Readers will find a concise briefing of what E2388 represents, typical sites of service, and the implications for billing and claims processing. The report outlines payer coverage landscape and common modifiers used with DME accessory claims where data are available. It also provides a clinical context for why foam drive wheel tires are used—such as reduced puncture risk and ride comfort—and notes when replacement billing applies. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code E2388 describes a power wheelchair accessory specifically for a foam drive wheel tire, intended for replacement only, billed per item (each). The service represented by this code is the supply and replacement of a foam tire mounted on a power wheelchair drive wheel.
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Service type: Durable medical equipment accessory supply and replacement
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Typical site of service: Durable medical equipment supplier, outpatient clinic, home setting where wheelchair maintenance or repairs occur
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with long-standing mobility impairment uses a power wheelchair as their primary mode of mobility. During a routine home assessment by a durable medical equipment (DME) technician, one of the foam drive wheel tires is found to be worn through, reducing traction and increasing the risk of slippage and further damage to the drive wheel. The clinician documents the need for a replacement foam drive wheel tire, and the DME supplier dispenses the part and records placement into the patient’s power wheelchair. The typical workflow includes verification of patient eligibility, inspection and documentation of the existing drive wheel condition, determination that only the tire (not the entire wheel) requires replacement, supplier ordering or stocking the replacement tire coded as E2388, installation by a trained technician, and documentation of the service date, part number, serial number of the wheelchair, and ICD-10 diagnosis linking the need for replacement (for example, a mobility-limiting neurologic or musculoskeletal diagnosis). Typical site of service is the patient’s home or an outpatient DME provider site where wheelchair repairs and part replacements are performed. This service is billed as a replacement-only power wheelchair accessory for a single foam drive wheel tire, per unit, using the HCPCS Level II code E2388.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 |