A K0108 Case Study
Comfort Company’s K0108-coded Comfort Foot.
Conceivably, the complex rehab technology niche has tens of
thousands of systems, components and hardware items that fall under
the K0108 code, either on their own or when part of a modular repair
situation. How can so many products lack a code of their own and
therefore default to the miscellaneous K0108?
Here’s a look at a current K0108-coded product: Comfort Company’s
Comfort Foot.
What It Is
Stacey Mullis, OTR, ATP, director of education, described Comfort Foot
as “a lower-extremity positioner that promotes alignment of lower
extremities when weakness, abnormal tone, or contractures are present;
provides pressure distribution to decrease risk of wounds; accommodates
contractures at the knee or ankle and can prevent progression
of abnormal postures; is adjustable in length to decrease tone and
minimize excessive pressure on the ball of the foot that can increase
tone or trigger unwanted reflexes.” Mullis added that Comfort Foot can
be ordered in different configurations to match a client’s specific needs.
Why It’s Under the K0108 Code
What makes this lower-extremity product “miscellaneous”?
“Our Comfort Foot has this code,” Mullis said, “because there are no
HCPCS code descriptors that accurately
reflect the description and function of
the product. The most ‘similar’ codes are
for a calf pad or heel loop, which do not
reflect the positioning and skin protection
capabilities of the Comfort Foot.”
How to Justify It
Despite the range of disparate products
that fall under the K0108 code,
the process for medically justifying the
Comfort Foot resembles that of more
specifically coded products.
“The most important thing to remember when justifying this code,”
Mullis said, “is to describe in detail why the product is necessary and
why a lesser option or omitting the product will be detrimental to the
client. In the case of our Comfort Foot, I would recommend to the therapist
to describe the physical presentation of the client and how the
Comfort Foot will do any of the following: protect skin integrity, prevent
wounds by increasing pressure distribution, accommodate foot/ankle
contractures, prevent lower-extremity contractures by promoting
alignment.”
This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Mobility Management.