L1970 — Ankle foot orthosis, plastic with ankle joint, custom fabricated
HCPCS Level II L-code · short descriptor: “Afo plastic molded w/ankle j”
- Code system
- HCPCS Level II
- Family
- L — Orthotics & prosthetics
- Medicare coverage status
- Carrier judgment — coverage decided by the DME MAC
- DMEPOS payment category
- Prosthetics & orthotics
- Prior authorization
- Not on Medicare required-PA list
- Face-to-face & WOPD
- Required (Orthoses)
- MUE unit limit
- 2
- Status
- Active (HCPCS Level II October 2026)
Prior authorization
Not on the Medicare required-PA list (CMS Required Prior Authorization List — 74 items in force on 2026-10-25; 8 more from 2026-10-28; sources: CMS list updated 2026-01-13, CMS-6109-N (91 FR 47972)). Medicare Advantage and commercial plans set their own prior-authorization rules for this code — verify per plan before delivery.
Order readiness — what the written order must contain
Every Medicare DMEPOS claim needs a Standard Written Order with all six elements (42 CFR 410.38(d)):
- Beneficiary name or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(A))
- General description of the item (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(B))
- Quantity to be dispensed, if applicable (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(C))
- Order date (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(D))
- Treating practitioner name or NPI (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(E))
- Treating practitioner signature (42 CFR 410.38(d)(1)(i)(F))
F2F + WOPD REQUIRED L1970 is on Medicare's Required Face-to-Face & WOPD List (Orthoses — CMS Required F2F & WOPD List — 83 items in force on 2026-10-25; 22 more from 2026-10-28; sources: CMS list effective 2026-04-13 (91 FR 1250), CMS-6109-N (91 FR 47972)). Two extra conditions of payment apply:
- Face-to-face encounter (in-person or telehealth) with the treating practitioner within the 6 months before the order date
- Written order communicated to the supplier before delivery (WOPD)
Blank requirements checklist only — MyMedi-AI never collects or stores completed orders.
L1970 Medicare fee schedule (October 2026)
Base (no modifier) Prosthetics & orthotics
Medicare allowable ranges from $817.68 to $1289.75 depending on state and rural status.
Former-CBA payment limits: ceiling $1090.24 · floor $817.68
| State | Non-rural | Rural |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $860.68 | — |
| AL | $942.10 | — |
| AR | $817.68 | — |
| AZ | $888.03 | — |
| CA | $888.03 | — |
| CO | $859.02 | — |
| CT | $1090.24 | — |
| DC | $817.68 | — |
| DE | $817.68 | — |
| FL | $942.10 | — |
| GA | $942.10 | — |
| HI | $920.33 | — |
| IA | $977.34 | — |
| ID | $850.01 | — |
| IL | $850.61 | — |
| IN | $850.61 | — |
| KS | $977.34 | — |
| KY | $942.10 | — |
| LA | $817.68 | — |
| MA | $1090.24 | — |
| MD | $817.68 | — |
| ME | $1090.24 | — |
| MI | $850.61 | — |
| MN | $850.61 | — |
| MO | $977.34 | — |
| MS | $942.10 | — |
| MT | $859.02 | — |
| NC | $942.10 | — |
| ND | $859.02 | — |
| NE | $977.34 | — |
| NH | $1090.24 | — |
| NJ | $1084.52 | — |
| NM | $817.68 | — |
| NV | $888.03 | — |
| NY | $1084.52 | — |
| OH | $850.61 | — |
| OK | $817.68 | — |
| OR | $850.01 | — |
| PA | $817.68 | — |
| PR | $1289.75 | — |
| RI | $1090.24 | — |
| SC | $942.10 | — |
| SD | $859.02 | — |
| TN | $942.10 | — |
| TX | $817.68 | — |
| UT | $859.02 | — |
| VA | $817.68 | — |
| VI | $1084.53 | — |
| VT | $1090.24 | — |
| WA | $850.01 | — |
| WI | $850.61 | — |
| WV | $817.68 | — |
| WY | $859.02 | — |
Unit limit (MUE)
Medicare's Medically Unlikely Edit caps L1970 at 2 units per date of service (absolute). Units above the MUE deny — typically as CO-151. Rationale: Anatomic Consideration.
Common denial codes to watch
Related L-codes
Bill L1970 with confidence
Track prior-authorization requests with AI pre-fill and deadline tracking, and draft PA appeal letters — built for DME teams, PHI-free: no patient data is collected or stored.
Start free trial Run a CMS-0057-F readiness checkPrefer DIY compliance? Self-audit documentation kits for DME suppliers →
Building an AI agent? Try the agent API in the playground — free PA-required lookups, L1970 included, and starter credits via POST /bot-marketplace/register.