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Hippotherapy (CPB 0151, reviewed 2026-03-20)
Effective date
Not stated in the notice
Identified
Aug 17, 2026
Summary
Aetna considers hippotherapy, also called equine therapy, experimental, investigational, or unproven for the listed indications and for all other indications, because its effectiveness has not been established. The listed indications include autism, attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy or other motor dysfunctions, chronic pain, dementia, developmental delays, Down's syndrome, epilepsy, idiopathic scoliosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, childhood obesity, and substance use disorder. HCPCS code S8940 (equestrian/hippotherapy, per session) and the listed ICD-10 codes are not covered for these indications.
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What to do
Action · 2 steps
01Billing team: Hippotherapy billed as HCPCS S8940 (equestrian/hippotherapy, per session) is listed as not covered for the indications in this policy.
02Before billing S8940, check the patient's diagnosis against the indications and ICD-10 codes listed in the policy, and do not bill S8940 for a listed indication.
Codes mentioned
S8940A88.1E66.9Z68.54Z73.3Z62.810Z62.813Z87.81Z87.820Z91.411R42R63.2
Original notice
Hippotherapy (CPB 0151, reviewed 2026-03-20)
aetna.com · Always check the source before changing claims.
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