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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice. It explains how Medicare’s public coding and coverage documents classify patient lifts; it is not billing or coverage advice for a specific claim.
What are HCPCS codes?
HCPCS stands for the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. CMS describes it as a standardized coding system that lets Medicare and other health insurance programs process claims in an orderly and consistent manner. It has two levels. Level I is the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) system maintained by the American Medical Association, which identifies medical services and procedures. Level II is the part used here: it identifies products, supplies and services that CPT does not cover, such as durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies when used outside a physician’s office. A Level II code is one letter followed by four digits, which is why a patient lift appears as E0630 or E0635. CMS maintains the Level II code set. For how the code families are laid out, see DME HCPCS codes, and for the difference between the two levels see HCPCS and CPT codes.
What is a Hoyer patient lift?
A Hoyer lift is a patient lift: a mobile device with a sling, a boom and a base that lifts a person and moves them from one place to another, for example from a bed to a chair. Hoyer is the name of the original brand, and the name is now used for sling-and-boom lifts in general. The US Code of Federal Regulations defines a non-AC-powered patient lift as a hydraulic, battery or mechanically powered device, fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport a patient from one place to another, and says the device includes straps and a sling to support the patient (21 CFR 880.5510, Class I). An electrically powered version falls under 21 CFR 880.5500 (Class II). In Medicare coding, the same equipment is a patient lift coded by construction, as the table below shows. For the parts, see Hoyer lift parts.
What HCPCS code does a Hoyer lift use?
There is no code for the Hoyer brand. HCPCS Level II assigns patient lifts to generic codes by how the lift is built, and a Hoyer-style mobile floor lift with a sling normally falls under E0630 (hydraulic or mechanical patient lift) or E0635 (sling or seat attached to a boom). CMS’s coverage article states that the original device coded E0635 was the Hoyer by Ted Hoyer & Company, Inc. Which code applies to a specific product depends on its construction and on the supplier’s coding verification, not on the brand name. Suppliers, clinic staff and students use these codes to match a lift to the right line on an order or claim.
Patient lift HCPCS codes at a glance
The table maps lift type to code using the wording in the CMS Billing and Coding Article A52516 (current version dated 09/20/2023) and the CMS Medicare Learning Network compliance tip on patient lifts (page last modified 02/11/2026). Both were checked on 2026-10-30.
| Code | What it describes | Coverage note in the CMS sources |
|---|---|---|
| E0630 | Patient lift, hydraulic or mechanical, includes any seat, sling, strap(s) or pad(s) (CMS DMEPOS master list entry) | Covered when basic criteria are met; the master list shows no prior authorization and no face-to-face encounter or written order prior to delivery requirement |
| E0635 | A lift used to transfer a bed-bound beneficiary by way of a sling or seat attached to a boom, with a spreader bar (base) as counterbalance | Covered when basic criteria are met |
| E0639 | Lift mechanism is part of a floor-to-ceiling pole system not permanently attached to the floor and ceiling, used in a room other than the bathroom | No separate payment for installation; only products with a PDAC Coding Verification Review may be billed |
| E0640 | Lift mechanism attached to permanent ceiling tracks or a wall mounting system | No separate payment for installation; PDAC verification required |
| E0636 | Multi-positional patient support system, with integrated lift, patient accessible controls | Needs the basic criteria and a documented need for supine positioning for transfers; KX modifier rules; PDAC verification |
| E1035, E1036 | Multi-positional patient transfer system, with integrated seat, operated by caregiver | Same supine-positioning criterion, KX modifier rules and PDAC verification as E0636 |
| E0621 | Accessory for a patient lift | Covered as an accessory when ordered as a replacement for a covered patient lift; included in the allowance for the lift code when billed together |
| E0625 | A patient lift for a toilet/tub, any type | Non-covered; not primarily medical in nature. A device used only in a bathroom is coded E0625 |
When Medicare covers a patient lift
Local Coverage Determination L33799 (original effective date 10/01/2015, current revision 01/01/2020) says a patient lift is covered if transfer between a bed and a chair, wheelchair or commode is required and, without the lift, the beneficiary would be bed confined. A lift described by E0630, E0635, E0639 or E0640 is covered when those basic criteria are met. The multi-positional systems (E0636, E1035, E1036) are covered only when the basic criteria are met and the beneficiary requires supine positioning for transfers; otherwise they are denied as not reasonable and necessary. The CMS compliance tip adds that the physician must document both the basic criteria and the supine-positioning need in the medical record.
The coverage test is about the transfer need, not about the type of lift. Heavy duty and bariatric lifts are not separate codes: A52516 states they are included in the patient lift codes E0630, E0635, E0636, E0639 and E0640.
KX, GA, GZ and PDAC verification
Under A52516, suppliers add a KX modifier to E0636, E1035 and E1036 only if all coverage criteria in the LCD are met and the evidence is kept in the supplier’s files. When the criteria are not met, GA or GZ applies instead, and claim lines on those codes without KX, GA or GZ are rejected as missing information. Separately, only products that have received a written Coding Verification Review from the Pricing, Data Analysis, and Coding (PDAC) contractor, and that appear on the PDAC Product Classification List, may be billed with E0636, E0639, E0640, E1035 or E1036.
What is another name for a Hoyer lift?
Hoyer is a brand name that became a common name for sling-and-boom patient lifts. In coverage documents the same equipment is called a patient lift, and A52516 states that the original device coded E0635 was the Hoyer by Ted Hoyer & Company, Inc. For the parts of this type of lift see Hoyer lift parts, and for the wider category see what a patient lift is.
What kinds of Hoyer lifts are there?
In coding terms the choice is between the floor-standing hydraulic or mechanical lift (E0630), the sling-or-seat boom lift (E0635), the pole system (E0639), the ceiling track system (E0640) and the multi-positional systems (E0636, E1035, E1036). A52516 notes the lift and transport mechanisms of E0639 and E0640 devices may be mechanical or electric. Bathroom-only lifts are a separate, non-covered code, E0625.
Common coding mistakes
- Coding a bathroom-only lift as E0630. A52516 says a device used only in a bathroom is coded E0625, which is non-covered.
- Adding a charge for installation. For E0639 and E0640 no separate payment is made for installation, and Medicare treats home modifications, such as structural changes needed for a lift system, as non-covered.
- Omitting KX, GA or GZ on E0636, E1035 or E1036. Those lines are rejected as missing information.
- Billing a bariatric lift under a separate code. Heavy duty and bariatric lifts are included in the existing lift codes.
- Billing a sling replacement as a separate item with the lift. E0621 is included in the allowance for the lift code when provided at the same time.
Related coding pages
Other equipment follows the same pattern of generic codes and coverage criteria: see hi-lo beds and their Medicare codes, shower chair codes, the durable medical equipment list and the comparison of HCPCS and CPT codes.
FAQ
Is there a separate HCPCS code for a Hoyer lift?
No. HCPCS describes lifts by construction, so a Hoyer-style floor lift is coded under the generic patient lift codes, most often E0630 or E0635.
Does Medicare require prior authorization for E0630?
The CMS DMEPOS master list entry for E0630 shows prior authorization as not required, and no face-to-face encounter or written order prior to delivery requirement. Coverage criteria still apply.
Is a bariatric patient lift a different code?
No. A52516 states heavy duty and bariatric lifts are included in codes E0630, E0635, E0636, E0639 and E0640.
Sources
- CMS, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) (checked 2026-10-31).
- eCFR, 21 CFR 880.5510, Non-AC-powered patient lift and 21 CFR 880.5500, AC-powered patient lift (checked 2026-10-31).
- CMS, Medicare Learning Network, Medicare Provider Compliance Tips: Patient Lifts (page last modified 02/11/2026; checked 2026-10-30).
- CMS Medicare Coverage Database, LCD L33799, Patient Lifts (revision effective 01/01/2020; checked 2026-10-30).
- CMS Medicare Coverage Database, Billing and Coding Article A52516, Patient Lifts (version updated 09/20/2023; checked 2026-10-30).
- CMS, Master List of DMEPOS Items Potentially Subject to Conditions of Payment, E0630 (checked 2026-10-30).
