Does Medicare Cover Compression Stockings?

• by Christian Worstell
• August 3, 2023
• Reviewed by John Krahnert

Medicare typically does not cover compression stockings. Medicare only covers specific types of compression stockings for treatment of an open venous stasis ulcer.

Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans may include some benefits not found in Original Medicare.

Learn more about your Medicare coverage options.

Are compression garments covered by Medicare?

Original Medicare typically only covers compression socks if they are used for an open venous ulcer. If your compression socks meet the criteria to be covered, Medicare Part B medical insurance will help cover the costs.

Compression socks can be used in a variety of conditions to improve circulation to the legs. People use compression socks to help treat the effects of a number of conditions, such as:

• Diabetes
• Blood clots
• Varicose veins
• Lymphedema (swelling in the arms or legs)

If your compression socks are not covered under Original Medicare, you may be responsible for 100 percent of the costs.

How much do compression socks cost with Medicare?

If your compression socks or other compression device is covered by Medicare Part B, you may be responsible for certain out of pocket costs, such as:

• Medicare Part B deductible
  The Medicare Part B deductible is $226 per year in 2023. You must meet this deductible before your Part B coverage kicks in.
  
  
• Medicare Part B coinsurance
  After you meet your Part B deductible, you are typically responsible for paying a 20 percent coinsurance for the Medicare-approved amount for your compression stockings.

We recommend speaking with your doctor directly for specific cost and coverage information.

Medicare Advantage plans may offer other benefits

Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurance companies as an alternative to Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) and cover everything that Original Medicare covers.

Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer other benefits not found in Original Medicare. 

If your compression socks are covered by Original Medicare, they will also be covered by a Medicare Advantage plan.

To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans in your area and the benefits they may offer, call to speak with a licensed insurance agent to find out if you’re eligible to enroll.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 24/7 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

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.

 

 

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