Policy & oversight
CMS Holds Public Meeting Today on Which New Medical Devices Should Get Medicare Billing Codes
The agency is taking public input on prosthetics, wound care products, and other supplies seeking HCPCS Level II billing codes, with final coverage decisions expected in February 2027 and effective April 1.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamNovember 2, 2026
Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies through a system of billing codes called the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS Level II. Before Medicare can pay for a new device, that device typically needs its own code, or a determination that an existing code covers it.
Twice a year, CMS holds a public meeting to review applications from manufacturers, clinicians, and other groups requesting new or revised HCPCS Level II codes for non-drug, non-biological items. Today CMS is conducting the second of those two annual sessions for 2026, held as a hybrid meeting at CMS headquarters in Baltimore and streamed live via Microsoft Teams.
Medicare is reviewing new billing codes today for prosthetics and wound care products, with final coverage decisions coming in February 2027.
The November 2 agenda includes items such as partial-hand and lower-extremity prosthetics, a sensory prosthesis for leg balance, and wound care dressings, among other products. For each item, CMS presents a preliminary determination: whether to create a new code, fold the item under an existing code, or decline a separate code. Stakeholders can speak on the record at the meeting.
Written comments on any agenda item can still be submitted through 5 p.m. Eastern time on November 4, 2026.
Final determinations will not be announced at today's session. CMS plans to publish its final coding, benefit category, and payment determinations on its HCPCS website around February 2027, with those decisions taking effect April 1, 2027.
For beneficiaries, the stakes are real: when Medicare assigns a billing code to a device, providers gain a pathway to submit claims and beneficiaries gain a clearer mechanism for coverage. When CMS concludes that a new product fits within an existing code, the coverage picture can be less straightforward.
In plain words
Medicare uses special billing codes to pay for medical devices and supplies. These codes are called HCPCS codes. Before Medicare can pay for a new device, that device usually needs one of these codes.
Two times a year, Medicare holds a public meeting to decide which new items should get their own code. Today is the second meeting of the year for 2026. It is held in person in Baltimore and also online.
At today's meeting, Medicare officials are discussing items like special hand prosthetics, a device that helps with leg balance, and wound care dressings. For each item, they say whether it should get a new code or use one that already exists.
If you want to send a written comment about any item, you have until the end of the day on November 4, 2026.
No final decisions will be made today. Medicare plans to post its final answers around February 2027. Those decisions will take effect April 1, 2027.
When a device gets its own code, doctors and other providers can bill Medicare for it. That can make it easier for people with Medicare to get coverage for that device.
Understand the basics first
Source: Federal Register
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