• More than three nasogastric tubes (B4081-B4083) or one gastrostomy/jejunostomy tube (B4087-B4088) every three months is rarely medically necessary and requires extensive documentation for approval

• If two enteral nutrition products, which are described by same HCPCS code, are being provided at same time, bill on a single claim line with units of service reflecting total calories of both nutrients
• When multiple products are billed, submit a separate DIF for each line item with answer to questions 3A (HCPCS) and 4A (calories per day) corresponding to individual line item on claim
• If coverage requirements for enteral nutrition are met, medically necessary nutrients, administration supplies and equipment are covered
• It is possible for Medicare to have a DIF on file that contains different information than most current DIF in supplier records. This could result in payments that are not in amount expected by supplier. It is imperative that suppliers keep current on DIF submission to properly reflect current provision of nutrition

Note: DIFs are required for dates of service prior to January 1, 2023 only

• Enteral formulas consisting of semi-synthetic intact protein/protein isolates (B4150 or B4152) are appropriate for majority of beneficiaries requiring enteral nutrition
• For special enteral formulas (B4149, B4153-B4157, B4161, and B4162) medical necessity must be justified for each beneficiary as to why this special formula is needed versus semi-synthetic enteral formula

• Feeding supply kits (B4034-B4036) are specific to route of administration and submission of a claim for more than one type of kit code delivered on same date or provided on an ongoing basis will be denied as not medically necessary

• Parenteral/Enteral Pump Rental/Purchase, and Maintenance and Servicing

• If a pump (B9000-B9002) is ordered, there must be sufficient documentation in beneficiary's medical record to justify its use. Examples of statements showing medical necessity would be "gravity feeding is not satisfactory due to reflux"; "aspiration"; "severe diarrhea"; "dumping syndrome"; "administration rate less than 100ml/hr"; "blood glucose fluctuations"; "circulatory overload; or "gastrostomy/jejunostomy tube used for feeding"
  • If medical necessity of pump is not documented, pump will be denied
• The reasonable useful lifetime (RUL) is considered eight years for parenteral/enteral pumps. Replacement may be considered with appropriate documentation