1 Freed M, et al. (Nov. 10, 2022). Medicare Advantage 2023 Spotlight: First Look. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-2023-spotlight-first-look.
Does Medicare Cover Incontinence Supplies?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Medicare Advantage plans may cover incontinence supplies such as catheters or adult diapers for qualified beneficiaries. Some plans may cover over-the-counter benefits such as an allowance to help pay for incontinence supplies.
Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) does not cover incontinence supplies such as adult diapers and pads. This means that with Original Medicare, you must pay 100 percent of the costs for these types of incontinence supplies.
However, Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans may offer benefits that Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) doesn’t cover.
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Medicare Advantage plans may other alternative benefits
Medicare Advantage plans are alternatives to Original Medicare that are managed by private insurance companies rather than the federal government.
By law, every Medicare Advantage plan must provide the same hospital and medical benefits as Original Medicare. In addition to the standard benefits of Original Medicare, many Medicare Advantage plans provide additional benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover.
Medicare Advantage plan availability and benefits can vary based on your location. More than 28 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2023. That’s equal to nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries!1
Dual Eligibility and Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNP)
In some states, Medicaid may cover incontinence supplies.
If you qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare, you may be eligible for a Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP) that helps cover incontinence supplies.
Medicare SNPs are a type of Medicare Advantage plan that limits membership to people with specific conditions or circumstances (such as being dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid).
Medicare SNPs cover the same Medicare services that all Medicare Advantage plans must cover, and many plans also cover extra services tailored to the groups they serve.
Finding a Medicare Advantage plan that covers incontinence supplies may take some shopping around. SNP plans usually aren’t as widely available as regular Medicare Advantage plans. What’s available in your area can vary significantly from other areas. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone!
Our licensed insurance agents can help you compare Medicare Advantage plans in your area to see what’s available and find out which plan may be the best fit for your needs.
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.
