---
title: "What Is Medical necessity? TENS and Pain Glossary"
description: "Medical necessity means services or supplies that meet accepted standards of medical practice to diagnose or treat a medical condition, as a payer applies the..."
url: https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/medical-necessity
publisher: Analgesic Healthcare
phone: +1-800-749-1188
contact: https://analgesic.multisites.ai/contact
---

Insurance

# Medical necessity

Medical necessity means services or supplies that meet accepted standards of medical practice to diagnose or treat a medical condition, as a payer applies the term.

Medicare.gov describes medically necessary services as services or supplies that meet accepted standards of medical practice to diagnose or treat your medical condition. Medicare's TENS policy uses the words reasonable and necessary. The policy says a TENS unit is denied as not reasonable and necessary for chronic low back pain, and it lists headache among conditions not considered reasonable and necessary. Your clinician's notes in your record show why a unit is needed. Other payers can use different definitions, so check with your plan. See [Does Medicare cover a TENS unit?](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/guides/does-medicare-cover-tens-unit) for the rule as of the LCD revision effective January 1, 2024.

## Related terms

-   [Medicare Part B](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/medicare-part-b)
-   [Local coverage determination](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/local-coverage-determination)
-   [Chronic low back pain](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/chronic-low-back-pain)
-   [Preauthorization](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/preauthorization)

## Sources

1.  [Medicare.gov: What Part B covers](https://www.medicare.gov/providers-services/original-medicare/part-b)
2.  [CMS: Local Coverage Determination L33802, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS)](https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/lcd.aspx?lcdid=33802)

## Questions about your unit or a bill?

Call toll free. For customer care, ask for extension 508.

[Call (800) 749-1188](tel:+1-800-749-1188)[Pay invoice](https://ahcpatientservices.com/)