General Information

Durable Medical Equipment is equipment you can use in your home to make your life easier.  Some items that are considered Durable Medical Equipment are:

• Hospital Beds
• Patient Lifts / Hoyer Lifts
• Lift Chairs
• Blood Glucose Monitors
• Bath Safety Equipment

Brands / Manufacturers

Hospital Beds - Invacare
Patient Lifts - Invacare
Lift Chairs - Pride Mobility
Bath Safety Equipment - Invacare, Nova Ortho-Med, DuroMed Industries

Educational Info:

Hospital Beds

Coverage Criteria

To be eligible for a Hospital Bed, you must meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. You require positioning of the body in ways not feasible with an ordinary bed due to a medical condition which is expected to last at least one month.
2. You require positioning of the body in ways not feasible with an ordinary bed to alleviate pain.
3. You require the head of the bed to be elevated more than 30 degrees most of the time due to congestive heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease, or problems with aspiration.  Other supports must have been determined ineffective.
4. You require traction equipment, which can only be attached to a hospital bed; OR
5. You require frequent changes in body position and/or have an immediate need for a change in body position.

Documentation Required

1. Detailed Written Order from your treating physician
2. Medical records documenting your condition and treatment plan

Medicare Links

Policy / LCD

Article

Patient Lifts / Hoyer Lifts

Coverage Criteria

To be eligible for a Patient Lift, you must meet both of the following criteria:

1. You cannot transfer between a bed and a chair/wheelchair/commode without the assistance of more than one person, AND
2. Without the use of a lift, you would be confined to the bed.

Documentation Required

1. Detailed Written Order from your treating physician
2. Medical records documenting your condition and treatment plan

Medicare Links

Policy / LCD

Article

Lift Chairs

For Medicare coverage, you should know that only the actual lifting mechanism is covered.  The actual chair is considered to be furniture, not medical equipment, and is not covered by Medicare.  You will be required to pay for furniture portion of the chair, in addition to the 20% co-insurance for the lifting mechanism.

Coverage Criteria

To be eligible for a Lift Chair, you must meet ALL the following criteria:

• You must have severe arthritis of the hip or knee or have a severe neuromuscular disease.
• The seat lift mechanism must be a part of the physician's course of treatment and be prescribed to effect improvement, or arrest or retard deterioration in the patient's condition.
• You must be completely incapable of standing up from a regular armchair or any chair in their home. (The fact that a patient has difficulty or is even incapable of getting up from a chair, particularly a low chair, is not sufficient justification for a seat lift mechanism. Almost all patients who are capable of ambulating can get out of an ordinary chair if the seat height is appropriate and the chair has arms); AND
• Once standing, you must have the ability to ambulate.

Documentation Requirements

1. Detailed Written Order from your treating physician
2. Certificate of Medical Necessity
3. Medical records documenting your condition and treatment plan

Medicare Links

Policy / LCD

Article

CMN

Bath Safety Equipment

We carry many styles and brands of Bath Safety Equipment.  We will work with you to determine the best product to meet your needs.  We have the following items in stock for you to view in our showroom:

• Bath Seats and Stools
• Raised Toilet Seats
• Grab Bars
• Toilet Safety Rails
• Toilet Seat Cushions
• Non-Skid Bath Mats
• Bath Transfer Benches

Medicare considers most bath safety equipment a convenience item and not used to treat a medical condition.  You can view a list of Non-Covered Items by clicking here.

Medicare Links to Non-Covered Items

FAQs