Coverage
Does Medicare Cover Hospital Beds?
Medicare typically does cover hospital beds that are deemed medically necessary by a doctor. Medicare Part B typically covers durable medical equipment (DME) such as hospital beds.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans can also cover a hospital bed that is deemed medically necessary by your doctor.
How are hospital beds covered under Medicare?
A hospital bed is considered durable medical equipment that your doctor can prescribe for use in your own home.
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Medicare Part B medical insurance typically covers a medically-necessary hospital bed when it meets certain requirements, such as:
- The hospital bed is intended for use in your home
- The bed is used for specific medical reasons
- It can be used repeatedly
- The hospital bed is expected to last for 3 years or more
If the doctor that prescribes your hospital bed and the supplier that provides the bed are both enrolled in Medicare and are “participating” providers, it means they accept Medicare reimbursement as payment in full for the hospital bed.
If your hospital bed supplier doesn’t accept Medicare assignment (they aren’t a participating provider), they could potentially charge you any amount for the bed.
How much does a hospital bed cost with Medicare?
If Medicare covers your hospital bed (and if your provider accepts Medicare assignment), there are some out-of-pocket costs you may need to pay, which may include:
- Part B deductible
In 2024, the Medicare Part B deductible is $240 per year. - Part B coinsurance or copayment
After you meet your Part B deductible, you typically pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for most doctor’s services.
There is no annual limit on how much you could pay for the Part B coinsurance in a given year.
We recommend speaking with your doctor directly for specific cost and coverage information related to your hospital bed.
Medicare Advantage plans can cover some additional costs
Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurance companies as an alternative to Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B).
Every Medicare Advantage plan must cover everything that Part A and Part B covers. This means that if your hospital bed is covered by Original Medicare, it will also be covered by a Medicare Advantage plan.
Some Medicare Advantage plans may also offer benefits not found in Original Medicare, such as transportation.
A licensed insurance agent can help you compare Medicare Advantage plans that are available in your area that provide coverage for hospital beds.
Compare Medicare Advantage plans in your area
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About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
