What It Is

Rental or purchase of a hospital bed for use in a patient's home

What's Covered

Medicare Part B pays for the rental of a hospital bed if prescribed by a doctor. The bed must be rented from a Medicare-certified medical equipment supplier. If a patient rents a bed for more than 13 months, the patient then owns the bed.

The medical equipment supplier who rents out the bed must deliver it, keep it in good repair, and pick it up when it's no longer needed.

If you have a Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage plan: Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage plans, also called Medicare Advantage plans, must cover everything that's included in original Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. But sometimes a Part C plan covers more, with extra services or an expanded amount of coverage. (Co-payments for Part C plans may also be different than those for Part A or Part B.) To find out whether your plan provides extra coverage or requires different co-payments for an outpatient hospital bed, contact the plan directly.

What Medicare Pays

Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for rental of the hospital bed, for up to 13 months.

If a patient becomes the owner of a bed after 13 months of Medicare-covered rental, Medicare will pay reasonable and necessary maintenance and repair costs.

Warning: If the bed is rented from a Medicare "participating supplier," the supplier can't charge more than the Medicare-approved amount. However, a supplier who's enrolled in Medicare but isn't an officially "participating" supplier may charge more than the Medicare-approved amount. In that case, the patient must personally pay the difference between the Medicare-approved amount and the amount the supplier actually charges (on top of the 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount that Medicare doesn't pay).

Important: Regardless of the rules regarding any particular type of care, in order for Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, or a Medicare Part C plan to provide coverage, the care must meet two basic requirements:

• The care must be "medically necessary." This means that it must be ordered or prescribed by a licensed physician or other authorized medical provider, and that Medicare (or a Medicare Part C plan) agrees that the care is necessary and proper. For help getting your care covered, see FAQ: How Can I Increase the Odds That Medicare Will Cover My Medical Service?

• The care must be performed or delivered by a healthcare provider who participates in Medicare.