Does Medicare Cover Adult Diapers?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) typically does not cover adult diapers or incontinence pads. With Original Medicare coverage, you will typically pay the full price of adult diapers and non-covered incontinence supplies out of pocket.
While Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans can cover benefits Original Medicare doesn’t offer, such as coverage for items like adult diapers, plans with these types of benefits may not be available where you live.
It’s important to note that if plans in your area cover adult diapers, there may be additional costs required.
Compare plans online or call to speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you learn about the Medicare Advantage plan benefits offered in your area and their costs and limitations.
We represent carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.
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Does Medicare cover incontinence supplies?
Original Medicare can cover male external catheters and female pouches, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) excludes adult diapers from its list of covered “external urinary collection devices.”
Medicare covers bedpans but also excludes adult diapers from the list of covered bowel management devices.
Because incontinence pads and adult diapers are not designed to withstand repeated use, however, they don’t meet the definition of what qualifies as durable medical equipment (DME) that Medicare will cover.
In some cases, a urinary collection and retention device that a doctor orders you to use for permanent urinary incontinence may be covered by Medicare as a prosthetic device.
Talk to your doctor to learn more about your options for adult diapers and incontinence supplies.
How much do adult diapers cost with Medicare Advantage?
Since adult diapers are not typically covered by Medicare, you will likely have to pay 100 percent of the costs for most incontinence supplies out of pocket.
Medicare Advantage plans may offer allowances for over-the-counter supplies
Since adult diapers are not typically covered by Medicare, you will likely have to pay 100 percent of the costs for most incontinence supplies out of pocket.
Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurance companies as an alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans can offer an allowance for health products like adult diapers, but these types of benefits aren’t available with all plans.
A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the benefits offered by Medicare Advantage plans in your area.
We represent carriers such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare®, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare, Wellcare, or Kaiser Permanente.
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.
