1 Freed M, et al. (Nov. 15, 2023). Medicare Advantage 2024 Spotlight: First Look. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-2024-spotlight-first-look.
Coverage
Does Medicare Cover Grab Bars?
- January 12, 2024
- Reviewed by John Krahnert
Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B) doesn’t cover bathroom grab bars or other bathroom safety devices. Medicare Advantage plans can cover bathroom safety devices, but only in limited situations and only for beneficiaries who qualify.
Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) does not provide coverage for bathroom safety devices such as grab bars.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans can cover benefits Original Medicare doesn’t offer, but Medicare Advantage plans that cover grab bars may not be available where you live and are typically offered to beneficiaries who also have Medicaid or who have a qualifying chronic health condition.
A licensed insurance agent can help you compare plan benefits available where you live, including the eligibility requirements for benefits like grab bars, if they’re available.
22% of 2024 Medicare Advantage plans cover bathroom safety devices, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.1
Learn More About Medicare
Join our email series to receive your free Medicare guide and the latest information about Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
By clicking "Sign me up!” you are agreeing to receive emails from MedicareAdvantage.com.
What durable medical equipment is covered by Medicare Part B?
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 commode chairs) 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, which could affect how much you end up paying out of pocket for your DME.
What are examples of durable medical equipment Medicare covers?
Some examples of durable medical equipment covered by Part B 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 at Medicare.gov, the official website of the Medicare program.
How do I look for a Medicare Advantage plan that covers grab bars?
To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans in your area, you can speak with a licensed insurance agent. Find out more about the benefits available where you live, such as whether any plans in your area cover grab bars and whether you are eligible for those benefits.
Find a Medicare Advantage plan that may cover grab bars.
Speak with a licensed insurance agent
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.
