Coverage
Does Medicare cover medical equipment? Walkers, wheelchairs, CPAP, oxygen and more
Medicare Part B covers medical equipment your doctor prescribes for use at home, from a cane to a hospital bed. You usually pay 20%, but which supplier you use can change the bill, and some common items aren't covered at all.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026. General information, not advice about any plan.
What's covered
Part B covers durable medical equipment when a doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or clinical nurse specialist prescribes it for use in your home. It must be sturdy enough for repeated use, needed for a medical reason, and expected to last at least 3 years.
What you pay
- Your share
- 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026).
- Use an enrolled supplier
- Medicare only pays suppliers enrolled in Medicare, even at big chain stores. Find one on Medicare.gov's supplier search.
- Ask about assignment
- A supplier that accepts assignment can only charge your deductible and 20%. One that doesn't can charge more, with no cap on medical equipment, and may ask you to pay in full up front.
Medicare Advantage plans must cover the same kinds of equipment, but may use network suppliers, require approval first, and limit brands.
Renting, owning and repairs
- Most equipment is rented
- Items like wheelchairs, hospital beds and CPAP machines are rented for 13 months of continuous use, then you own them. Inexpensive items like canes and walkers are usually bought.
- Oxygen
- Medicare pays rent for 36 months. The supplier must then keep providing the equipment and supplies for up to 24 more months without rent, 5 years in all; you may still owe 20% for oxygen contents and some servicing. After 5 years a new cycle can start.
- Repairs
- The supplier repairs rented equipment. For equipment you own, Medicare pays 80% of repairs.
- Replacement
- If it's lost, stolen, damaged beyond repair, or generally after 5 years of use.
Common items
- Walkers, canes, crutches, commode chairs
- Covered with a prescription. Commode chairs are for people confined to their bed or room.
- Wheelchairs and scooters
- For use inside the home. Power chairs and scooters need a visit with your doctor (in person or by telehealth) within 6 months before a written order, and often Medicare's approval before delivery.
- Hospital beds and patient lifts
- Covered when medically necessary at home.
- CPAP
- A 12-week trial for sleep apnea. To keep coverage, you use it at least 4 hours a night on 70% of nights in a 30-day period, and your doctor sees you between day 31 and 91 and notes that it's helping.
- Continuous glucose monitors
- For people with diabetes who use insulin or have a history of problem low blood sugar, with regular visits to the prescriber.
- Blood sugar test supplies
- Every 3 months, up to 300 strips and lancets if you use insulin, 100 if you don't, or more if your doctor documents the need. Medicare won't pay for supplies sent automatically that you didn't ask for.
Medicare's bidding program for equipment is paused, so any enrolled supplier can provide it. A new nationwide program for glucose monitors, insulin pumps, ostomy and urological supplies and some braces is set to start by 2028.
What isn't covered
Home changes and comfort items: grab bars, stair lifts and elevators, bath seats and lifts, raised toilet seats, air conditioners and air purifiers, and disposable incontinence pads.
- Hang up on anyone who calls offering a "free" brace, monitor or wheelchair billed to Medicare. Don't give your Medicare number. Report it to 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
- Check your Medicare Summary Notice for equipment you never received.
Home health care can include equipment too. How home health works.
Common questions
How much does Medicare pay for a wheelchair or walker?
80% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), if your doctor prescribes it for use in your home and the supplier is enrolled in Medicare. You pay 20%.
Does Medicare pay for a power wheelchair or scooter?
Sometimes, if you need it to move around inside your home and you have a visit with your doctor (in person or by telehealth) before they write the order. Medicare may need to approve it before delivery. It won't pay for one you only need outside the home.
Does Medicare cover grab bars or stair lifts?
No. Original Medicare treats home changes like grab bars, stair lifts, bath seats and raised toilet seats as not primarily medical, so they aren't covered. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer bathroom safety items as an extra benefit.
Does Medicare cover a CPAP machine?
Yes, for obstructive sleep apnea, with a 12-week trial. To keep coverage, records must show you use it at least 4 hours a night on 70% of nights in a 30-day period during the first 3 months, and your doctor must see you and note that it helps.
Keep reading
- Does Medicare cover home health care? Who qualifies and what's includedMedicare pays in full for part-time skilled care at home if you're homebound and need skilled nursing or therapy. What "homebound" means, what's covered and not, and what to do if an agency stops your care.
- Medicare scams: how to spot them, and what to doThe calls, texts and offers scammers use around Medicare, the signs that give them away, and exactly who to call if you think you've been targeted.
- What Medicare costs in 2026, and what's already set for 2027The 2026 Part B premium and deductible, Part A hospital costs, the income-based IRMAA surcharges, Part D drug limits and Medicare Advantage's yearly cap, plus the 2027 figures already announced.
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