Medicare will cover certain types of medical equipment if there is a medical need. Medicare generally pays 80 percent of its approved charge.
Medicare defines durable medical equipment (DME) as medical supplies that are:
- able to withstand repeated use;
- primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose;
- generally not useful to a person in the absence of an illness or injury; and
- appropriate for use in the home.
DME includes items such as walkers, wheelchairs, power scooters, hospital beds and portable oxygen equipment.
Sometimes, durable medical equipment is referred to as DMEPOS because Medicare also covers prosthetics, orthotics and certain supplies (POS). Prosthetics are devices that can replace a missing body part, such as a hand or leg. Orthotics are equipment like braces that help to support or correct the malfunction of a limb or torso.
In most cases, Medicare does
not cover medical supplies that generally are used and then thrown away.
To find out what items are NOT considered DME, click on the link in the GO TO box.
An exception to the “durable” rule is some nondurable supplies Medicare will cover under the
home health care benefit, Medicare will cover some nondurable items that allow a home health agency to effectively treat you as your doctor has ordered, such as intravenous supplies, gauze or catheters. Another exception: if you have diabetes, Medicare will cover some medical supplies, like lancets and test strips, as a
preventive care benefit.
To To find out what supplies Medicare covers for home health care, click on the link in the GO TO box.
To learn more about preventive care services that Medicare covers, click on the link in the GO TO box.
Medicare coverage of DME items can vary by state. For a specific question about Medicare coverage of DME, you can call your local durable medical equipment administrator, the DME MAC, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
To find out what DME Medicare covers in your area, call your DME MAC, or click on the link in the LINKS box.
