Spinal Orthosis Pre-Pay Review Quarterly Status Report
Below is the analysis of claim denials for lumbar sacral orthoses (LSO) HCPCS codes L0450-L0651 reviewed July 1 – September 30, 2024. The error rate for this quarter is 36.93%. The top 10 reasons for claim denials are as follows:
| Rank | Reason | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The HCPCS procedure code on the claim is not correct for the item billed. | 56.50% |
| 2. | The medical records received lack sufficient information concerning the beneficiary’s condition to determine if medical necessity coverage criteria were met. | 12.99% |
| 3. | Medical records do not support one of the 4 criteria for a spinal orthosis. | 6.21% |
| 4. | No medical record documentation was received. | 5.08% |
| 5. | The records do not support that the person who did the custom fitting for the orthosis has the expertise of a certified orthotist or an individual who has equivalent specialized training in the provision of orthotics such as a physician, treating practitioner, an occupational therapist, or physical therapist in compliance with all applicable federal and state licensure and regulatory requirements. | 3.95% |
| 6. | The documentation does not have a valid written order prior to delivery. | 2.82% |
| 7. | There is not a valid handwritten or electronic signature by the author of the medical record. | 2.26% |
| 8. | The documentation does not include verification that the equipment was lost, stolen, or irreparably damaged in a specific incident. | 2.26% |
| 9. | The supplier provided the item prior to an inpatient hospital admission or Part A covered skilled nursing facility stay and its use began during the stay. | 1.69% |
| 10. | The file does not have a valid Advance Beneficiary Notice. | 1.69% |
*The total percentage will be greater than 100% because some claims denied for multiple reasons.
**The error rate included is an overall average for the supplier specific reviews as a part of the Targeted Probe and Educate program. This is not meant to be an overall error rate for the HCPCS code or policy under medical record review.
Resources:
- Orthotics and Prosthetics Medical Review Resources
- Spinal Orthoses Documentation Checklist

- Spinal Orthoses: TLSO and LSO – LCD (L33790)

- Spinal Orthoses: TLSO and LSO – Policy Article (A52500)

- Standard Documentation Requirements for All Claims Submitted to DME MACs (A55426)

- Supplier Manual Chapter 3 – Supplier Documentation

Updated: November 5, 2024

