Medicare Coverage for Wheelchairs, Walkers and Hospital Beds
How Medicare covers wheelchairs, power mobility devices, walkers and hospital beds, plus how to spot and report medical equipment fraud.
Mobility equipment helps many people with Medicare stay safe and independent at home. Medicare Part B covers manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and scooters, walkers and hospital beds as durable medical equipment when they are medically necessary and prescribed for use in your home. This guide explains the main coverage rules and how to protect yourself from equipment fraud. It is general information, not medical advice.
Manual and power wheelchairs
Medicare covers wheelchairs and scooters to help people who have a limited ability to walk. Power wheelchairs and scooters, also called power mobility devices, have stricter rules than manual chairs:
- They are covered only when medically necessary, and your doctor must state that you need one because of your medical condition.
- You must have a face-to-face examination and a written prescription from a treating provider before Medicare covers a power wheelchair or scooter. Under 42 CFR 410.38, the encounter, which can be in person or by telehealth, must happen within the 6 months before the written order, and the order must reach the supplier before delivery.
- Medicare will not cover a power wheelchair or scooter that you need and use only outside the home.
- Certain types of power wheelchairs require prior authorization, meaning Medicare must approve the item before it will cover the cost. Your supplier normally handles this request with information from your provider.
After you meet the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your supplier accepts assignment.
Walkers
Part B covers walkers, including rollators, when your provider prescribes one for use in your home. Medicare's DME coverage booklet lists walkers among inexpensive or routinely purchased items that you can buy. You can use any Medicare-enrolled supplier to repair a walker you own, including replacement parts.
Hospital beds
Part B may cover hospital beds for home use when your provider prescribes one and you meet Medicare's eligibility rules. As with other equipment, get the bed from a supplier enrolled in Medicare, and ask whether it accepts assignment before you order. Medicare also covers pressure-reducing beds, mattresses and overlays used to prevent bed sores, and patient lifts, when you qualify.
Rent or buy?
Medicare pays for most DME on a rental basis, and the supplier will know which method applies to your item:
- Capped rental. For more expensive items such as many wheelchairs and hospital beds, Medicare pays rent for up to 13 months of continuous use. Under 42 CFR 414.229, the supplier must then transfer ownership to you.
- Purchase. Inexpensive or routinely purchased items such as walkers and canes can be bought. Complex rehabilitative power wheelchairs may also be bought outright.
While you rent, the supplier must maintain and repair the equipment and keep it working. After you own it, Medicare may pay 80% of the approved amount for repairs, and you pay 20%. Generally, Medicare will also cover loaner equipment, such as a wheelchair, while yours is being repaired.
How to avoid DME fraud
Most suppliers are honest, but equipment scams are common. Medicare warns that some suppliers try to cheat Medicare by offering expensive power wheelchairs and scooters to people who do not qualify. The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has also issued alerts about two widespread schemes:
- Brace scams. According to the OIG brace scam alert, callers or ads offer "free" back, knee or other braces "covered by Medicare." Once you share your information, braces are shipped even if you did not need them, often several at a time, and billed to Medicare.
- Genetic testing scams. The OIG genetic testing alert describes offers of "free" cheek swabs or test kits through telemarketing, health fairs and door-to-door visits, used to get Medicare numbers for fraudulent billing.
To protect yourself:
- Hang up on unsolicited calls offering free equipment or tests billed to Medicare.
- Never give your Medicare number to someone who contacts you out of the blue.
- Refuse deliveries of equipment your own doctor did not order. If items arrive anyway, write down the sender's name and the date you returned them.
- Only accept equipment approved by a doctor you know and trust.
- Check each Medicare Summary Notice for items you did not order or receive.
Where to report fraud or problems
If you suspect fraud, report it to Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). You can also contact the OIG hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477; TTY 1-800-377-4950) or online at tips.hhs.gov. Have your Medicare number, the supplier's name and any supplier number or dates ready.
For service problems that are not fraud, such as a supplier that will not repair rented equipment, contact the supplier first, then file a DME complaint through 1-800-MEDICARE. To compare enrolled suppliers in your area, use Medicare's supplier finder.