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Coverage

Does Medicare Cover Grab Bars?

While Original Medicare does not currently cover grab bars, some Medicare Advantage plans may cover grab bars in home bathrooms.

Some Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) cover grab bars in home bathrooms, as well as other home health services such as meal delivery and non-emergency transportation.

What durable medical equipment is covered by Medicare Part B?

Although some Medicare Advantage plans cover grab bars, Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not typically cover grab bars, as they are not considered durable medical equipment (DME).

Durable medical equipment (which can include things like walkers, canes and chair lifts) is typically covered by Medicare Part B, as long as it is considered medically necessary by a doctor.

To be considered durable medical equipment, an item must meet the following criteria:

  • It must be used in your home
  • It must be used for a medical reason
  • It must be able to withstand repeated use
  • It must have an expected lifetime of at least three years

It is also important to find out if your DME suppliers accept Medicare assignment.

Suppliers that don’t accept assignment can charge you any amount for equipment, which could increase how much you end up paying out of pocket for your DME.

Examples of durable medical equipment

Some examples of durable medical equipment include:

  • Blood sugar monitors
  • Hospital beds
  • Commode chairs
  • Crutches
  • Nebulizers and nebulizer medications
  • Oxygen equipment
  • Manual wheelchairs and powered mobility devices
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines and other devices to treat sleep apnea

You can find more examples of Medicare-covered durable medical equipment on the Medicare.gov website.

How much you could pay for durable medical equipment

If your DME supplier accepts assignment, you typically pay 20% of the Medicare approved amount, and Medicare Part B pays 80% after your Part B deductible is met.

In 2024, the Part B deductible is $240 per year.

Keep in mind that Medicare covers different kinds of durable medical equipment in different ways. Depending on the type of equipment, you may need to rent or buy the equipment.

How do I enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that covers grab bars?

To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans in your area that may cover grab bars, you can speak with a licensed insurance agent. Find out more about the benefits you may be able to receive and compare the costs of plans that are offered where you live.

Find a Medicare Advantage plan that may cover grab bars.

Speak with a licensed insurance agent

1-800-557-6059

Christian

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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