DME Modifiers for New, Rented, and Used Equipment
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for Blue Cross Blue Shield - North Carolina Policy G-06053 alerts
Get alerted when Policy G-06053 changes without checking for updates manually.
Monitor payer policy activity
Defines when and how modifiers NU (new), RR (rented), and UE (used) should be billed for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, and orthotics for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina / Healthy Blue Medicaid providers.
No material clinical or coverage changes in this revision.
Equipment Modifier Coverage Rules
Equipment modifier coverage rules
Reimbursement rules for equipment modifiers
Modifiers and Billing Position
| NU | Modifier indicating new equipment |
| RR | Modifier indicating rented equipment |
| UE | Modifier indicating purchase of used equipment |
Billing and Authorization Actions
Billing and authorization actions: append NU, RR, or UE in primary modifier field
Append the NU, RR, or UE modifier in the primary/first modifier field on claims for equipment (DME), prosthetics, and orthotics to determine appropriate reimbursement; supplies billed with these modifiers are not eligible for reimbursement unless required by state or CMS guidelines. Claims must also meet authorization and medical necessity requirements and may be rejected, denied, or subject to recovery/recoupment if coding, billing, or modifier rules are not followed.
- Modifier NU = new equipment
- Modifier RR = rented equipment
- Modifier UE = purchase of used equipment
- Bill modifiers in the primary or first modifier field
- Do not append NU, RR, or UE to supplies for reimbursement unless mandated by state or CMS guidance
- Ensure claims meet authorization and medical necessity criteria to avoid denial, rejection, or recoupment
Key Definitions
OpenPayer is powered by Trek Health's payer performance platform. Trek continuously ingests, validates, and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data alongside payer policies and other commercial payer data to create a structured payer intelligence foundation. OpenPayer uses this foundation to deliver personalized search results, dynamically generated policy pages, and tailored policy monitoring based on each user's payers, specialties, billing codes, and areas of interest. The same intelligence powers broader payer performance workflows, including reimbursement benchmarking, contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and financial decision-making.