How to Get an Esper Hand in the U.S. — Insurance, Fitting, and Support
Esper Hand 2 is available in the United States through prosthetic clinics. Start by talking with your prosthetist or contacting Esper for help finding one. Your prosthetist will assess your needs, recommend a configuration, and guide you through insurance review, fitting, and training. Esper identifies HCPCS L6880 as the primary billing code for the hand. Insurance coverage depends on your plan, medical necessity, documentation, and the components your clinic recommends.
What is Esper Hand 2?
Esper Hand 2 is a multi-articulating myoelectric prosthetic hand that uses signals from your muscles to control movement. It comes in small and large sizes for either side. You can customize grips and settings in the Esper+ app, and the four non-thumb fingers work with touchscreens.
The hand is rated IPX5 for water resistance. Avoid submersion and follow the water-exposure instructions for your complete prosthesis, including the wrist connection and socket components. See the Esper Hand 2 technical specifications for more details.
How do you get an Esper Hand in the United States?
The process typically involves five steps, from finding a prosthetist to arranging ongoing care.
Step | What happens | What you can prepare |
|---|---|---|
1. Connect with a certified prosthetist | Ask your existing prosthetist about an evaluation or contact Esper for help finding a clinic. | Your city and state and the name of your clinic, if you have one. |
2. Complete a clinical evaluation | Your prosthetist assesses socket fit, muscle signals, daily goals, and component compatibility. | Details about your current device and examples of tasks you want to do with the hand. |
3. Review funding | Your clinic checks your benefits and prepares any required documentation or authorization request. | Insurance information and relevant medical records. |
4. Complete fitting and training | Your care team fits the prosthesis, configures the controls, and helps you practice using the hand. | Activities you want to practice during training. |
5. Arrange follow-up care | Your prosthetist handles fit and control adjustments. An occupational therapist can help you practice daily activities, and Esper can assist with technical questions. | Your hand’s serial number and your clinic’s contact information. |
Step 1 — Find a certified prosthetist or contact your current clinic
If you already work with a prosthetist, ask about an Esper Hand 2 evaluation. Your prosthetist can contact Esper to discuss the fitting and get clinical setup support.
If you’re looking for a clinic, choose a certified prosthetist who holds a state license where required. Search the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (ABC) Directory or the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) Directory. Ask the clinic whether it fits upper-limb myoelectric prostheses and can evaluate you for Esper Hand 2.
You can also contact Esper or email hello@esperbionics.com for a referral. Share your city and state, whether you already have a prosthetist, and what you’d like to do with the hand. Your clinic can tell you whether you need a prescription or referral for the evaluation.
Step 2 — Evaluate fit, control, and daily needs
Your prosthetist assesses your residual limb, muscle signals, and socket fit. They’ll recommend a hand size, wrist connection, sensors, and control setup based on your needs. Bring examples of activities you want to do, such as holding utensils, using a phone, or handling objects at work.
Wrist connection options include Esper QDW and Low Profile SWC. Your prosthetist can confirm which option is available and compatible with the rest of your prosthesis. If you’re considering a pattern-recognition control system, ask your clinic about its suitability for your fitting and any separate insurance requirements.
Step 3 — Check insurance and prepare documentation
Before ordering, ask your clinic to check your prosthetic benefits, whether the clinic is in network, and whether your plan requires prior authorization. Confirm who will submit the request and follow up with your insurer.
The clinical documentation should connect the recommended components to your daily needs. For example, it might explain how a particular grip would help you hold utensils or handle objects you use at work.
Step 4 — Complete fitting and training
Your care team fits the socket, checks the components, and configures how the hand responds to your muscle signals. During training, you’ll practice selecting grips, releasing objects reliably, charging the prosthesis, caring for it, and using the Esper+ settings relevant to your setup.
Bring up any discomfort or difficulty controlling the hand so your team can assess whether the fit or settings need adjustment.
Step 5 — Arrange follow-up care and technical support
Before you take your prosthesis home, ask whom to contact for socket adjustments, control changes, repairs, and warranty requests. Keep the hand’s serial number handy for technical support.
Follow-up care can also include an occupational therapist (OT). An OT can help you practice using the hand for your own goals, such as preparing a meal, getting dressed, or handling objects at work. Ask your care team whether occupational therapy would be helpful and how to arrange it. VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines
Esper offers technical support and resources through the Esper+ app. If your hand needs a repair, ask your clinic about local service, parts availability, shipping, turnaround time, and whether a temporary device is available.
Does insurance cover Esper Hand in the U.S.?
Insurance may cover Esper Hand 2 if the proposed fitting meets your plan’s prosthetic benefit and medical-necessity requirements. Ask your clinic to check the complete configuration, since the hand and additional controls may be subject to different policy criteria.
Funding route | What to check |
|---|---|
Private insurance | Ask about prosthetic benefits, medical-necessity criteria, in-network clinics, prior authorization, exclusions, and out-of-pocket costs. |
Original Medicare | Part B covers medically necessary artificial arms when ordered by a doctor or other healthcare provider. Ask your supplier to confirm the requirements for your proposed fitting. Medicare artificial limbs benefit |
Medicare Advantage | Ask your plan about the proposed components, participating providers, authorization, and costs. |
Medicaid | Check your state Medicaid program and, if applicable, your managed-care plan. Medicaid benefits |
VA care | Contact your VA care team or local Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service about an evaluation and the process for obtaining a device. VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service |
For example, Aetna’s published upper-limb prostheses policy lists exclusions for certain control features, including pattern recognition. Your clinic can check which policy applies to your plan and the components it recommends.
What documents are needed for an insurance request?
Your clinic may need a prescription, relevant medical records, a prosthetic evaluation, and an explanation of medical necessity. Depending on your plan, it may also need to provide:
Your daily goals and relevant prosthetic history.
Evidence that you can use the proposed myoelectric control system.
An explanation of why other options would fall short of your functional needs, if the policy requires it.
An itemized estimate with the applicable billing codes.
Prior authorization forms, if required.
Esper can provide product specifications, operating instructions, and clinical setup guidance. Your treating clinician and prosthetic clinic coordinate the clinical documentation, authorization, and billing.
What is the billing code for Esper Hand?
Esper identifies HCPCS L6880 as the primary billing code for Esper Hand. The code describes a powered prosthetic hand with independently articulating digits and includes the motors and grasp patterns. Your clinic should verify the current product-specific coding for the exact model it supplies.
Term | What it means |
|---|---|
Coding | How the clinic identifies a device or service on a claim. |
Coverage | Whether the device or service qualifies under your plan’s benefits and clinical criteria. |
Reimbursement | How much the payer pays on a claim under its payment rules. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Esper Hand prosthesis cost?
Esper Hand pricing starts at $12,000, depending on the model you choose. Whatever your goals, our team will guide you in choosing the right hand and finding the funding pathway that works for you.
The full cost depends on the complete prosthesis, the clinical services involved, and your coverage. Ask your clinic for an itemized estimate that shows the hand, socket, wrist, sensors, battery, any additional controls, and which fitting or follow-up services are included.
Ask for both the total quoted cost and your estimated out-of-pocket share. For covered artificial limbs under Original Medicare, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible. Other insurance and whether your supplier accepts Medicare assignment can affect what you owe.
Can you switch from another myoelectric hand to Esper Hand?
You may be able to switch to Esper Hand 2 after a prosthetist evaluates your existing setup. Bring your current prosthesis and any component information you have. Your prosthetist can assess which parts you can reuse by checking the socket fit, wrist connection, sensors, power supply, and controls.
Can you try Esper Hand before choosing it?
Contact Esper to ask about a demonstration or an evaluation through a prosthetic clinic. If you’re interested in trying the hand with your own setup or taking a device home, ask the clinic whether it offers that option and what the terms are.
How long does it take to get an Esper Hand?
Timing depends on your evaluation, insurance review, component availability, socket fabrication, and fitting appointments. Once your prosthetist has assessed your needs, ask your clinic for an estimated timeline and which steps need to happen before it can order the hand.
What warranty and support come with Esper Hand?
Esper lists a 24-month limited warranty for manufacturing defects. Ask your clinic for the warranty terms that apply to your order and whether extended coverage is available. For technical or warranty help, contact your prosthetic clinic, email support@esperbionics.com, or open Settings → Help Center or Settings → Feedback in Esper+.
Does FDA registration mean insurance will cover Esper Hand
FDA registration and device listing are separate from insurance coverage. The FDA explains that registration and listing alone do not establish approval or clearance. Your insurer evaluates coverage separately under your plan’s rules. FDA guidance on registration and listing.
What should you do if insurance denies the request?
Ask for the reason in writing, along with the appeal instructions and deadline. Review the decision with your clinic to see whether it concerns missing records, medical necessity, coding, a specific component, or a benefit exclusion. Your clinic can help identify what information may address the denial, and Esper can provide product documentation if needed.
Start your Esper Hand evaluation
Esper can help you find a prosthetist or work with the clinic you already use. Share your city and state, whether you already have a prosthetist, and the activities you’d like your prosthesis to support.
Contact Esper or email hello@esperbionics.com.