Does Medicare cover hospital beds for home?

What does Medicare cover for hospital beds?

Medicare Part B may cover a hospital bed as durable medical equipment (DME), medical equipment your doctor orders for use in your home.

Medicare covers different kinds of DME in different ways. Depending on the type of equipment, you may need to rent it, you may need to buy it, or you may be able to choose, and some items become your property after a certain number of rental payments.

Who qualifies for a Medicare-covered hospital bed?

Part B covers medically necessary DME if your provider prescribes it for use in your home. Under CMS's national coverage policy for hospital beds, your doctor's prescription and any other records Medicare asks for must show that you need the bed for one of these reasons:

• Your condition requires positioning of your body, for example to relieve pain, promote good body alignment, prevent contractures or avoid respiratory infections, in ways not possible in an ordinary bed
• Your condition requires special attachments that can't be fixed to and used on an ordinary bed

What does the doctor's prescription need to show?

The prescription must come with the first claim and show that a hospital bed is medically necessary. If you need the bed for positioning, the prescription or other records must describe your medical condition, such as heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), quadriplegia or paraplegia, and how severe and frequent the symptoms are. If you need special attachments, the prescription must describe your condition and name the attachments that require a hospital bed.

Does Medicare cover adjustable height, electric controls or side rails?

In some cases, yes. Under CMS's coverage policy for hospital beds and its durable medical equipment reference list:

• A variable height feature can be covered in well-documented cases, such as severe arthritis or a lower-body injury like a fractured hip, severe heart conditions, spinal cord injury, amputation of more than one limb, or stroke, when the feature helps you get up, walk or move to a wheelchair
• Electric head and foot adjustments can be covered when your condition requires frequent or immediate changes in body position and you can operate the controls, with exceptions for spinal cord injury and brain damage
• Side rails can be covered when your condition requires them and they're part of, or an accessory to, a hospital bed
• A mattress is covered only where a hospital bed is medically necessary

What do I pay for a hospital bed with Medicare?

After you meet the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your supplier accepts assignment. Medicare only pays for DME items you get from suppliers enrolled in Medicare, and a supplier that participates in Medicare must accept assignment and can charge you only the coinsurance and the Part B deductible.

A supplier that doesn't participate or won't accept assignment may charge you more. For a rented bed, make sure the supplier will accept assignment for all rental months; otherwise you may have to pay the full cost upfront, and Medicare pays you its share later, after your claims are processed.

Does Medicare Advantage or Medigap change hospital bed coverage?

Medicare Advantage plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers, but costs vary by plan, you may need to use suppliers in the plan's network, and you may need the plan's approval (prior authorization) first. A Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) policy helps pay your share of Original Medicare costs, like the 20% coinsurance; what it pays depends on the policy you buy. See how Medicare Advantage differs from Original Medicare.