About this policy
Summary of Evidence
Analysis of Evidence
Coding Information
CPT/HCPCS Codes
General Information
Associated Information
Sources of Information
Bibliography
Revision History Information
Associated Documents
Attachments
Related Local Coverage Documents
Related National Coverage Documents
Public Versions
Keywords
Local Coverage Determination (LCD)
Therapeutic Shoes for Persons with Diabetes
L33369
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Contractor Information
Contractor Name Contract Type Contract Number Jurisdiction States
Indiana
Kentucky
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virgin Islands
Virginia
West Virginia
Delaware
District of Columbia
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York - Entire State
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
American Samoa
Arizona
California - Entire State
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Missouri - Entire State
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Dakota
Northern Mariana Islands
Oregon
South Dakota
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
LCD Information
Document Information
LCD ID
L33369
LCD Title
Therapeutic Shoes for Persons with Diabetes
Proposed LCD in Comment Period
N/A
Source Proposed LCD
N/A
Original Effective Date
For services performed on or after 10/01/2015
Revision Effective Date
For services performed on or after 01/01/2020
Revision Ending Date
N/A
Retirement Date
N/A
Notice Period Start Date
N/A
Notice Period End Date
N/A
CPT codes, descriptions, and other data only are copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Fee schedules, relative value units, conversion factors and/or related comp
Coverage indications
For any item to be covered by Medicare, it must 1) be eligible for a defined Medicare benefit category, 2) be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member, and 3) meet all other applicable Medicare statutory and regulatory requirements. The purpose of a Local Coverage Determination (LCD) is to provide information regarding “reasonable and necessary” criteria based on Social Security Act § 1862(a)(1)(A) provisions. In addition to the “reasonable and necessary” criteria contained in this LCD there are other payment rules, which are discussed in the following documents, that must also be met prior to Medicare reimbursement: The LCD-related Standard Documentation Requirements Article, located at the bottom of this policy under the Related Local Coverage Documents section. The LCD-related Policy Article, located at the bottom of this policy under the Related Local Coverage Documents section. Refer to the Supplier Manual for additional information on documentation requirements. Refer to the DME MAC web sites for additional bulletin articles and other publications related to this LCD. For the items addressed in this LCD, the “reasonable and necessary” criteria, based on Social Security Act § 1862(a)(1)(A) provisions, are defined by the following coverage indications, limitations and/or medical necessity. The statutory coverage criteria for therapeutic shoes including the requirement for an order are specified in the related Policy Article. Separate inserts may be covered and dispensed independently of diabetic shoes if the supplier of the shoes verifies in writing that the beneficiary has appropriate footwear into which the insert can be placed. This footwear must meet the definitions found in this policy for depth shoes or custom-molded shoes. A custom molded shoe (A5501) is covered when the beneficiary has a foot deformity that cannot be accommodated by a depth shoe. The nature and severity of the deformity must be well documented in the supplier's records and available upon request. If a custom molded shoe is provided but the medical record does not document why that item is medically necessary, it will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. GENERAL For Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) base items that require a Written Order Prior to Delivery (WOPD), the supplier must have received a signed Standard Written Order (SWO) before the DMEPOS item is delivered to a beneficiary. If a supplier delivers a DMEPOS item without first receiving a WOPD, the claim shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. Refer to the LCD-related Policy Article, located at the bottom of this policy under the Related Local Coverage Documents section. For DMEPOS base items that require a WOPD, and also require separately billed associated options, accessories, and/or supplies, the supplier must have received a WOPD which lists the base item and which may list all the associated options, accessories, and/or supplies that are separately billed prior to the delivery of the items. In this scenario, if the supplier separately bills for associated options, accessories, and/or supplies without first receiving a completed and signed WOPD of the base item prior to delivery, the claim(s) shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary. An item/service is correctly coded when it meets all the coding guidelines listed in CMS HCPCS guidelines, LCDs, LCD-related Policy Articles, or DME MAC articles. Claims that do not meet coding guidelines shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary/incorrectly coded. Proof of delivery (POD) is a Supplier Standard and DMEPOS suppliers are required to maintain POD documentation in their files. Proof of delivery documentation must be made available to the Medicare contractor upon request. All services that do not have appropriate proof of delivery from the supplier shall be denied as not reasonable and necessary.
Codes in this policy
Code numbers and each code’s status as the policy records it. CPT code descriptions are left out of this page, as are the passages that cite CPT codes; the official document has them.
| Code | Code system | Status in this policy |
|---|---|---|
| A5500 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5501 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5503 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5504 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5505 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5506 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5507 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5508 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5510 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5512 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5513 | HCPCS | Covered |
| A5514 | HCPCS | Covered |