WAC 182-543-5500:

182-543-5000 << 182-543-5500 >> 182-543-5700

PDFWAC 182-543-5500

Medical supplies and related services.

The medicaid agency pays for the following medical supplies and related services without prior authorization unless otherwise specified:

(1) Antiseptics and germicides:

(a) Alcohol (isopropyl) or peroxide (hydrogen) - One pint per month;

(b) Alcohol wipes (box of two hundred) - One box per month;

(d) Betadine or iodine swabs/wipes (box of one hundred) - One box per month;

(2) Bandages, dressings, and tapes;

(3) Batteries - Replacement batteries:

(a) The agency pays for the purchase of replacement batteries for wheelchairs with prior authorization.

(b) The agency does not pay for wheelchair replacement batteries that are used for speech generating devices (SGDs) or ventilators.

(4) Blood monitoring/testing supplies:

(a) Replacement battery of any type, used with a client-owned, medically necessary or specialized blood glucose monitor - One in a three-month period;

(b) Spring-powered device for lancet - One in a six-month period;

(i) For clients age twenty and younger, as follows:

(A) Insulin dependent, three hundred test strips and three hundred lancets per client, per month.

(B) For noninsulin dependent, one hundred test strips and one hundred lancets per client, per month.

(ii) For clients age twenty-one and older:

(A) Insulin dependent, one hundred test strips and one hundred lancets per client, per month.

(B) For noninsulin dependent, one hundred test strips and one hundred lancets per client, every three months.

(iii) For pregnant people with gestational diabetes, the agency pays for the quantity necessary to support testing as directed by the client's physician, up to sixty days postpartum.

(d) See WAC 182-543-5500(12) for blood glucose monitors.

(5) Braces, belts, and supportive devices:

(a) Knee brace (neoprene, nylon, elastic, or with a hinged bar) - Two per twelve-month period;

(b) Ankle, elbow, or wrist brace - Two per twelve-month period;

(d) Cervical head harness/halter, cervical pillow, pelvic belt/harness/boot, or extremity belt/harness - One per twelve-month period.

(6) Decubitus care products:

(a) Cushion (gel, sacroiliac, or accuback) and cushion cover (any size) - One per twelve-month period;

(b) Synthetic or lamb's wool sheepskin pad - One per twelve-month period;

(7) Ostomy supplies:

(a) Adhesive for ostomy or catheter: Cement; powder; liquid (e.g., spray or brush); or paste (any composition, e.g., silicone or latex) - Four total ounces per month.

(b) Adhesive or nonadhesive disc or foam pad for ostomy pouches - Ten per month.

(d) Adhesive remover wipes, fifty per box - One box per month.

(e) Closed pouch, with or without attached barrier, with a one- or two-piece flange, or for use on a faceplate - Sixty per month.

(f) Closed ostomy pouch with attached standard wear barrier, with built-in one-piece convexity - Ten per month.

(g) Continent plug for continent stoma - Thirty per month.

(h) Continent device for continent stoma - One per month.

(i) Drainable ostomy pouch, with or without attached barrier, or with one- or two-piece flange - Twenty per month.

(j) Drainable ostomy pouch with attached standard or extended wear barrier, with or without built-in one-piece convexity - Twenty per month.

(k) Drainable ostomy pouch for use on a plastic or rubber faceplate (only one type of faceplate allowed) - Ten per month.

(l) Drainable urinary pouch for use on a plastic, heavy plastic, or rubber faceplate (only one type of faceplate allowed) - Ten per month.

(m) Irrigation bag - Two every six months.

(n) Irrigation cone and catheter, including brush - Two every six months.

(o) Irrigation supply, sleeve - One per month.

(p) Ostomy belt (adjustable) for appliance - Two every six months.

(q) Ostomy convex insert - Ten per month.

(r) Ostomy ring - Ten per month.

(s) Stoma cap - Thirty per month.

(t) Ostomy faceplate - Ten per month. The agency does not pay for either of the following when billed in combination with an ostomy faceplate:

(i) Drainable pouches with plastic face plate attached; or

(ii) Drainable pouches with rubber face plate.

(8) Syringes and needles;

(9) Urological supplies - Diapers and related supplies:

(a) The standards and specifications in this subsection apply to all disposable incontinent products (e.g., briefs, diapers, pull-up pants, underpads for beds, liners, shields, guards, pads, and undergarments). See subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section for additional standards for specific products. All of the following apply to all disposable incontinent products:

(i) All materials used in the construction of the product must be safe for the client's skin and harmless if ingested;

(ii) Adhesives and glues used in the construction of the product must not be water-soluble and must form continuous seals at the edges of the absorbent core to minimize leakage;

(iii) The padding must provide uniform protection;

(iv) The product must be hypoallergenic;

(v) The product must meet the flammability requirements of both federal law and industry standards; and

(vi) All products are covered for client personal use only.

(b) In addition to the standards in subsection (a) of this section, diapers must meet all the following specifications. They must:

(i) Be hourglass shaped with formed leg contours;

(ii) Have an absorbent filler core that is at least one-half inch from the elastic leg gathers;

(iii) Have leg gathers that consist of at least three strands of elasticized materials;

(iv) Have an absorbent core that consists of cellulose fibers mixed with absorbent gelling materials;

(v) Have a back sheet that is moisture impervious and is at least 1.00 mm thick, designed to protect clothing and linens;

(vi) Have a top sheet that resists moisture returning to the skin;

(vii) Have an inner lining that is made of soft, absorbent material; and

(viii) Have either a continuous waistband, or side panels with a tear-away feature, or refastenable tapes, as follows:

(A) For child diapers, at least two tapes, one on each side.

(B) The tape adhesive must release from the back sheet without tearing it, and permit a minimum of three fastening/unfastening cycles.

(c) In addition to the standards in subsection (a) of this section, pull-up pants and briefs must meet the following specifications. They must:

(i) Be made like regular underwear with an elastic waist or have at least four tapes, two on each side or two large tapes, one on each side;

(ii) Have an absorbent core filler that is at least one-half inch from the elastic leg gathers;

(iii) Have an absorbent core that consists of cellulose fibers mixed with absorbent gelling;

(iv) Have leg gathers that consist of at least three strands of elasticized materials;

(v) Have a back sheet that is moisture impervious, is at least 1.00 mm thick, and is designed to protect clothing and linens;

(vi) Have an inner lining made of soft, absorbent material; and

(vii) Have a top sheet that resists moisture returning to the skin.

(d) In addition to the standards in subsection (a) of this section, underpads are covered only for incontinent purposes in a client's bed and must meet the following specifications:

(i) Have an absorbent layer that is at least one and one-half inches from the edge of the underpad;

(ii) Be manufactured with a waterproof backing material;

(iii) Be able to withstand temperatures not to exceed one hundred-forty degrees Fahrenheit;

(iv) Have a covering or facing sheet that is made of nonwoven, porous materials that have a high degree of permeability, allowing fluids to pass through and into the absorbent filler. The patient contact surface must be soft and durable;

(v) Have filler material that is highly absorbent. It must be heavy weight fluff filler or the equivalent; and

(vi) Have four-ply, nonwoven facing, sealed on all four sides.

(e) In addition to the standards in subsection (a) of this section, liners, shields, guards, pads, and undergarments are covered for incontinence only and must meet the following specifications:

(i) Have channels to direct fluid throughout the absorbent area, and leg gathers to assist in controlling leakage, and/or be contoured to permit a more comfortable fit;

(ii) Have a waterproof backing designed to protect clothing and linens;

(iii) Have an inner liner that resists moisture returning to the skin;

(iv) Have an absorbent core that consists of cellulose fibers mixed with absorbent gelling materials;

(v) Have pressure-sensitive tapes on the reverse side to fasten to underwear; and

(vi) For undergarments only, be contoured for good fit, have at least three elastic leg gathers, and may be belted or unbelted.

(f) The agency pays for urological products when they are used alone. The following are examples of products the agency does not pay for when used in combination with each other:

(i) Disposable diapers;

(ii) Disposable pull-up pants and briefs;

(iii) Disposable liners, shields, guards, pads, and undergarments;

(iv) Rented reusable diapers (e.g., from a diaper service); and

(v) Rented reusable briefs (e.g., from a diaper service), or pull-up pants.

(g) The agency approves a client's use of a combination of products only when the client uses different products for daytime and nighttime use. Example: pull-up pants for daytime use and disposable diapers for nighttime use. The total quantity of all products in this section used in combination cannot exceed the monthly limitation for the product with the highest limit.

(h) Purchased disposable diapers (any size) are limited to two hundred per month for clients age three and older.

(i) Reusable cloth diapers (any size) are limited to:

(i) Purchased - Thirty-six per year; and

(ii) Rented - Two hundred per month.

(j) Disposable briefs and pull-up pants (any size) are limited to:

(i) Two hundred per month for a client age three through age eighteen; and

(ii) One hundred fifty per month for a client age nineteen and older.

(k) Reusable briefs, washable protective underwear, or pull-up pants (any size) are limited to:

(i) Purchased - Four per year.

(ii) Rented - One hundred fifty per month.

(l) Disposable pant liners, shields, guards, pads, and undergarments are limited to two hundred per month.

(m) Underpads for beds are limited to:

(i) Disposable (any size) - One hundred eighty per month.

(ii) Purchased, reusable (large) - Forty-two per year.

(iii) Rented, reusable (large) - Ninety per month.

(10) Urological supplies - Urinary retention:

(a) Bedside drainage bag, day or night, with or without anti-reflux device, with or without tube - Two per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with any of the following:

(i) With extension drainage tubing for use with urinary leg bag or urostomy pouch (any type, any length), with connector/adapter; and/or

(ii) With an insertion tray with drainage bag, and with or without catheter.

(b) Bedside drainage bottle, with or without tubing - Two per six month period.

(c) Extension drainage tubing (any type, any length), with connector/adapter, for use with urinary leg bag or urostomy pouch. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with a vinyl urinary leg bag, with or without tube.

(d) External urethral clamp or compression device (not be used for catheter clamp) - Two per twelve-month period.

(e) Indwelling catheters (any type) - Three per month.

(f) Insertion trays:

(i) Without drainage bag and catheter - One hundred and twenty per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with other insertion trays that include drainage bag, catheters, and/or individual lubricant packets.

(ii) With indwelling catheters - Three per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with other insertion trays without drainage bag and/or indwelling catheter, individual indwelling catheters, and/or individual lubricant packets.

(g) Intermittent urinary catheter - One hundred twenty per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with an insertion tray with or without drainage bag and catheter, or other individual intermittent urinary catheters.

(h) Irrigation syringe (bulb or piston). The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with irrigation tray or tubing.

(i) Irrigation tray with syringe (bulb or piston) - Thirty per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with irrigation syringe (bulb or piston), or irrigation tubing set.

(j) Irrigation tubing set - Thirty per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with an irrigation tray or irrigation syringe (bulb or piston).

(k) Leg straps (latex foam and fabric), replacement only.

(l) Male external catheter, specialty type, or with adhesive coating or adhesive strip - Sixty per month.

(m) Urinary suspensory with leg bag, with or without tube - Two per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with a latex urinary leg bag, urinary suspensory without leg bag, extension drainage tubing, or a leg strap.

(n) Urinary suspensory without leg bag, with or without tube - Two per month.

(o) Urinary leg bag, vinyl, with or without tube - Two per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with drainage bag and without catheter.

(p) Urinary leg bag, latex - One per month. The agency does not pay for these when billed in combination with or without catheter.

(11) Miscellaneous supplies:

(a) Bilirubin light therapy supplies when provided with a bilirubin light which the agency prior authorized - Five days supply.

(b) Continuous passive motion (CPM) softgoods kit - One, with rental of CPM machine.

(d) Eye patch (adhesive wound cover) - One box of twenty.

(e) Nontoxic gel (e.g., LiceOff TM) for use with lice combs - One bottle per twelve-month period.

(f) Nonsterile gloves - Two hundred, per client, per month.

(i) For clients residing in an assisted living facility, the agency pays, with prior authorization, for additional nonsterile gloves up to the quantity necessary as directed by the client's physician, not to exceed a total of four hundred per client, per month.

(ii) Prior authorization requests must include a completed:

(A) General Information for Authorization form (HCA 13-835). The agency's electronic forms are available online (see WAC 182-543-7000 Authorization); and

(B) Limitation Extension Request Incontinent Supplies and Gloves form (HCA 13-870).

(g) Sterile gloves - Thirty pair, per client, per month.

(12) Miscellaneous medical equipment:

(a) Bilirubin light or light pad - Five days rental per twelve-month period for at-home newborns with jaundice.

(b) Blood glucose monitor - One in a three-year period. See WAC 182-543-5500(4) for blood monitoring/testing supplies. The agency does not pay for continuous glucose monitoring systems including related equipment and supplies under the durable medical equipment benefit. See WAC 182-553-500 home infusion therapy/parenteral nutrition program.

(d) Lightweight protective helmet/soft shell (including adjustable chin/mouth strap) - Two per twelve-month period.

(e) Lightweight ventilated hard-shell helmet (including unbreakable face bar, woven chin strap with adjustable buckle and snap fastener, and one set of cushion pads for adjusting fit to head circumference) - Two per twelve-month period.

(f) Pneumatic compressor - One in a five-year period.

(g) Positioning car seat - One in a five-year period.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021, 41.05.160 and 42 C.F.R. Part 440.70; 42 U.S.C. section 1396 (b)(i)(27). WSR 18-24-021, § 182-543-5500, filed 11/27/18, effective 1/1/19. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.05.021. WSR 12-07-022, § 182-543-5500, filed 3/12/12, effective 4/12/12. WSR 11-14-075, recodified as § 182-543-5500, filed 6/30/11, effective 7/1/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.050. WSR 11-14-052, § 388-543-5500, filed 6/29/11, effective 8/1/11.]