QE HCPCS Level II modifier: Prescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)
QE is a HCPCS Level II modifier: “Prescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm).” It adds this detail to the code it is reported with.
Official description
QEPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)
Short description: Stationary o2 @ rest <1 lpm
HCPCS · United States
Medicare details
The indicators CMS publishes with QE in its October 2026 file. They describe Medicare’s handling, not another payer’s.
- Medicare coverage
- Carrier judgment
- Added
- Jan 1, 1989
Where QE sits
- 1GroupHCPCS modifiers
- 2Modifier QEPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)
Source and release
- Data release
- HCPCS Level II · October 2026
- Effective date
- Oct 1, 2026
- Publisher
- CMS
This page is built from the HCPCS Level II catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s October 2026 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCPCS code QE mean?
QE is the HCPCS code for “Prescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)” in CMS’s HCPCS Level II October 2026 release.
Where is QE in the HCPCS Level II list?
QE is listed under Modifiers.
Does Medicare cover QE?
CMS lists QE’s Medicare coverage as “Carrier judgment”. Coverage and payment still depend on the patient, the setting, the documentation and the payer.
Which HCPCS Level II release does this page use?
It uses CMS’s October 2026 release, in effect from Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.
Codes beside QE
All modifiersQ8Two class b findingsQ9One class b and two class c findingsQAPrescribed amounts of stationary oxygen for daytime use while at rest and nighttime use differ and the average of the two amounts is less than 1 liter per minute (lpm)QBPrescribed amounts of stationary oxygen for daytime use while at rest and nighttime use differ and the average of the two amounts exceeds 4 liters per minute (lpm) and portable…QCSingle channel monitoringQDRecording and storage in solid state memory by a digital recorderQFPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest exceeds 4 liters per minute (lpm) and portable oxygen is prescribedQGPrescribed amount of stationary oxygen while at rest is greater than 4 liters per minute (lpm)QHOxygen conserving device is being used with an oxygen delivery systemQJServices/items provided to a prisoner or patient in state or local custody, however the state or local government, as applicable, meets the requirements in 42 cfr 411.4 (b)QKMedical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures involving qualified individualsQLPatient pronounced dead after ambulance called