Equipment and supplies
Walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen, CPAP: covered, with conditions
Short answer: Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment at 80% after your deductible, which leaves you 20%, but only when three things line up: a doctor documents that you need it, the item qualifies as durable medical equipment, and you get it from a Medicare-enrolled supplier that accepts assignment. That last condition is where most surprise bills come from. Some items are rented rather than bought, oxygen and CPAP have their own rules, and a long list of things people assume are covered, notably grab bars and stair lifts, simply are not.
Key takeaways
- Part B covers durable medical equipment at 80% after the deductible; you pay 20% with no annual cap on Original Medicare.
- The supplier must be enrolled in Medicare and accept assignment, or you can be charged much more.
- Some equipment is rented, not purchased, and oxygen runs on a 36-month rental schedule.
- CPAP starts with a trial period and continued coverage depends on documented use.
- Not covered: grab bars, stair lifts, most home modifications, and equipment mainly for comfort or convenience.
What counts as durable medical equipment
Medicare’s test is functional: the item must be durable enough for repeated use, serve a medical purpose, generally be useless to someone who is not ill or injured, and be appropriate for use at home. Commonly covered items include walkers, canes, crutches, manual and power wheelchairs, scooters, hospital beds, patient lifts, commode chairs, oxygen equipment, nebulizers, CPAP and BiPAP machines, blood sugar monitors and test strips, continuous glucose monitors, and infusion pumps. Prosthetics, orthotics, and certain supplies fall under related Part B categories with similar rules.
Everything starts with documentation. Your doctor must establish medical necessity, and for some items, including power wheelchairs and scooters, a face-to-face examination and a specific written order are required. Equipment ordered without that paperwork gets denied, and fixing it afterward is far harder than getting it right first.
The supplier rule, which causes most surprise bills
| Supplier type | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment | 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible |
| Medicare-enrolled but does not accept assignment | Potentially more than the approved amount; you may pay the full bill upfront and seek reimbursement |
| Not enrolled in Medicare | Medicare pays nothing |
Ask two questions before accepting any equipment: are you enrolled in Medicare, and do you accept assignment? Medicare.gov has a supplier directory you can check yourself.
In many areas Medicare uses competitive bidding for certain equipment categories, meaning only contracted suppliers are covered for those items in that area. If you use a non-contract supplier where the program applies, Medicare may pay nothing at all. This is the single most common way people end up with a four-figure bill for a device they believed was covered, and one phone call prevents it.
Rent versus buy
Medicare decides, not you. Some items are purchased outright, some are capped rentals where ownership transfers after a set number of monthly payments, and some are rented indefinitely. For capped-rental items, your 20% applies to each monthly rental payment rather than a lump sum, which spreads the cost but also means the obligation continues month after month. Repairs and replacement are covered under defined circumstances for equipment you own, and equipment has expected lifetimes, typically around five years, before replacement is considered.
Oxygen, CPAP, and glucose monitors
- Oxygen runs on a 36-month rental schedule, after which the supplier must continue furnishing equipment and service for a further period without new rental payments. Coverage requires documented arterial oxygen levels, so testing precedes approval.
- CPAP begins with a trial period, and continued coverage depends on documentation that you are actually using the machine and that it is helping. Machines report usage data, so this is not a formality; people lose coverage by not using the device consistently during the trial.
- Continuous glucose monitors and diabetes supplies are covered for people meeting clinical criteria, and the rules have broadened in recent years. The diabetes article covers supplies, insulin at $35, and the free programs in detail.
What Medicare will not cover
The exclusions frustrate people because they are often the most useful items for staying home safely: grab bars, stair lifts, walk-in tubs, widened doorways, ramps, and other home modifications are not covered, nor are items considered primarily for comfort or convenience, most disposable supplies, and equipment for use outside the home only. Some of these gaps are filled by Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits, by Medicaid home and community-based services, by Area Agencies on Aging, or by veterans’ programs, which makes them worth asking about rather than assuming. The broader map of what Medicare leaves out is in the gaps article.
If a claim is denied and you believe the equipment is medically necessary, that denial is appealable, and appeals succeed regularly when the physician documentation is strengthened. The appeal process lays out the levels, and your 20% coinsurance on all of this is exactly what a Medigap policy or an Advantage plan’s out-of-pocket maximum exists to cap.
Questions people also ask
Does Medicare cover walkers and wheelchairs?
Why did I get a large bill for medical equipment?
Does Medicare cover CPAP machines?
Does Medicare pay for grab bars or stair lifts?
Do I rent or buy equipment through Medicare?
Sources for this article
- Medicare.govDurable medical equipment coverage: what qualifies, supplier requirements, and cost sharing.
- Medicare.govMedicare coverage: oxygen, CPAP, prosthetics, and diabetes supplies.
- Medicare.govMedicare.gov: the supplier directory and competitive bidding areas.
Figures checked against these sources on September 30, 2026. We update within days when CMS publishes new amounts.
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