The treatment and management of many conditions and diseases require the use of medical equipment. When these items are not intended to be thrown away after use — think a wheelchair that’s used for years as opposed to incontinence pads that are used once and tossed — they are called durable.
“These items are used as part of a person’s medical treatment when recovering from an illness or helping manage a disease or disability day to day,” explains Dr. Bernard Steinbacher, senior medical director of Lyric, a health care technology firm based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Here, we detail the list of durable medical equipment, or DME, covered by Medicare, what your coinsurance typically is and everything else you need to know about getting the DME you need to treat and manage your condition and stay well.
How Do the Different Parts of Medicare Impact Your DME Coverage?
Below is what you can expect to pay out-of-pocket, depending on the part of the Medicare you’re enrolled in.
Medicare DME Cost and Rules Quick Reference
| Coverage Layer | What You Pay Out of Pocket | Key Requirement | Can You Rent DME? |
| Medicare (Part B) | 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | You must use a Medicare-approved supplier who accepts assignment (more on that below). | Yes. Items like wheelchairs and hospital beds are routinely rented. |
| Medicare Advantage | Varies by plan. You may need to pay a flat copay or a different coinsurance percentage. | You must use an in-network DME supplier contracted with your specific plan. | Yes, but rental rules and contract lengths may depend on your plan. |
| Medigap (Medicare supplement plans) | In most cases, $0 for the DME portion (Medigap typically covers the 20% Part B coinsurance) | Original Medicare must first approve and cover the DME item. | Yes. It follows original Medicare guidelines for rentals. |
[READ Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage: Which Should You Buy?]
What Medical Equipment Is Covered By Medicare?
Medicare covers a wide range of equipment — but it doesn’t cover everything.
Mobility and accessibility aids
What is covered:
— Walkers, wheelchairs and scooters
— Canes and crutches
— Traction equipment
— Patient lifts
— Some prosthetic and orthotic items
What’s not covered:
— Equipment intended to be used outside the home, such as a motorized scooter for someone who’s able to walk around the house for short distances and needs the scooter only for getting around town
— White canes for the blind
Chronic care monitoring
What is covered:
— Blood sugar meters and test strips
— CPAP machines and accessories
— Oxygen equipment and accessories
— Nebulizers and nebulizer medications
What’s not covered:
— Items intended for convenience or comfort, such as elevators and air conditioners
Medical home furniture
What is covered:
— Hospital beds
— Commode chairs
What’s not covered:
— Special furniture, such as oscillating beds, that might be used in hospitals or skilled nursing facilities
— Home modifications, such as ramps or widened doorways for wheelchair access
Supplies and disposables
What is covered:
— Infusion pumps and supplies
— Certain disposables, including intravenous supplies, wound dressings and gauze as part of the home health care benefit
— Urological supplies
What’s not covered:
— Disposable items that are not used with equipment, such as incontinence pads or compression leggings
Medicare Advantage coverage
If you’re on a Medicare Advantage plan, the covered items list could look a little different, depending on the specifics of the plan. And the list can change from year to year, notes Chris Orestis, a Maine-based senior care advocate and expert in retirement, long-term care and specialty senior living funding solutions, who serves as president of retirement consultancy Retirement Genius.
“There’s a lot of basic availability, but that’s why it’s important to keep an eye on open enrollment opportunities, because things can change,” he says.
[READ: How Do You Apply for Medicare?]
Where Can I Get Medicare-Covered Medical Equipment?
To qualify for Medicare coverage, the medical equipment you’re receiving must come from “a Medicare-approved supplier,” says Scott R. Maibor, a licensed insurance advisor and managing director of Senior Benefits Boston LLC, a Medicare advisory based in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Steinbacher recommends ensuring that the supplier is “enrolled in Medicare and accepts Medicare assignment,” which is an agreement between a health care provider and Medicare that states the provider will accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for the covered item. If a provider accepts assignment, that applies to all Medicare Part A- and Part B-covered services.
If you get durable medical equipment from a supplier that charges more than the Medicare-approved amount, “Medicare will not cover the excess,” Steinbacher adds. Therefore, it would be cheaper for you to purchase the equipment from a supplier who does accept Medicare assignment.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll also need to use an in-network provider that is contracted with your plan, Maibor notes.
[READ Tools to Support Activities of Daily Living: Helping Seniors Stay Independent]
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Does Medicare Cover Medical Equipment? Your 2026 Guide to DME Costs originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/21/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information
