Does Medicare Cover Wheelchairs, Walkers, and Other Medical Equipment (DME)?

Here's the short version. Medicare Part B covers medically necessary durable medical equipment, called DME, if your doctor or other health care provider orders it for use in your home. That includes wheelchairs and scooters, walkers, hospital beds, oxygen equipment, canes, crutches, commode chairs, CPAP therapy, and blood sugar monitors. After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, as long as your supplier accepts assignment. Three things trip people up: the equipment must be for use in your home, your doctors and suppliers must be enrolled in Medicare, and power wheelchairs need a face-to-face exam and a written prescription first. The rest of this page walks through each rule.

What counts as durable medical equipment

Medicare defines DME as equipment that is:

• Durable, meaning it can withstand repeated use.
• Used for a medical reason.
• Typically only useful to someone who is sick or injured.
• Used in your home.
• Expected to last at least 3 years.

Medicare's list of covered DME includes, but isn't limited to: canes, commode chairs, CPAP therapy, crutches, blood sugar monitors and test strips, hospital beds, infusion pumps and supplies, oxygen equipment and accessories, respiratory assist devices, walkers, and wheelchairs and scooters. Diabetes supplies have their own page: Medicare diabetes coverage.

The three rules that decide coverage

1. It must be medically necessary and ordered by your provider. Part B covers medically necessary DME if your doctor or other health care provider orders it for use in your home. Equipment you'd like to have, but that isn't needed for a medical reason, doesn't qualify.
2. It must be for use in your home. That phrase is in Medicare's definition. A scooter meant only for trips outside, for example, is a harder case. Talk with your doctor about what you need at home.
3. Your doctor and your supplier must be enrolled in Medicare. Medicare tells you to make sure your doctors and DME suppliers are enrolled in Medicare, and to ask suppliers whether they participate in Medicare or will accept assignment before you get the equipment.

What you pay

After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your supplier accepts assignment. The Part B deductible is $283 in 2026. If you're getting home health care, you still pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for DME like wheelchairs, walkers, and hospital beds.

Whether the supplier accepts assignment matters a lot:

• A supplier that participates in Medicare must accept assignment. That means it can charge you only the coinsurance and the Part B deductible on the Medicare-approved amount.
• A non-participating supplier doesn't have to accept assignment, but may choose to in your case. If it doesn't, you may be charged more.
• For rented equipment, make sure the supplier accepts assignment for all rental months. Otherwise you'll pay the full cost up front, and Medicare pays you back its share later after your claims are processed.

A Medigap policy may pay some or all of your 20% share. Our costs guide explains deductibles and assignment.

Rent or buy?

Medicare covers different kinds of DME in different ways. Depending on the type of equipment, you may need to rent it, you may need to buy it, or you may be able to choose. Some items become your property after you've made a certain number of rental payments. Ask the supplier which rule applies to your item before you sign anything.

Wheelchairs and scooters

Part B covers wheelchairs and power-operated vehicles (scooters) if you're eligible. Part B covers power wheelchairs and scooters only when they're medically necessary. You must have a face-to-face examination and a written prescription from a treating provider before Medicare covers a power wheelchair or scooter.

You may also need prior approval, called prior authorization, for certain types of power wheelchairs. Your DME supplier should request it and send the required documents to Medicare. You don't need to do anything. Medicare reviews the information to make sure you meet all the requirements.

A request may be denied if Medicare finds you don't medically require a power wheelchair, or if Medicare doesn't get enough information to decide. If Medicare needs more information, your supplier may resubmit the request. If you disagree with a denial, you have appeal rights. See Your Rights and Appeals.

Walkers, hospital beds, and oxygen

• Walkers. Part B covers walkers, including rollators, if you're eligible. You can use any Medicare-approved supplier to repair a walker you own, including replacement parts needed for the repair.
• Hospital beds. Part B may cover hospital beds if you're eligible, when your provider prescribes one for use in your home.
• Oxygen. Part B covers oxygen and oxygen equipment for use in your home if your provider says you aren't getting enough oxygen, your health might improve with oxygen therapy, and your blood gas level falls within a certain range. You rent oxygen equipment from a supplier for 36 months. After that, Medicare's rental payments end, but the supplier must keep providing oxygen and equipment for as long as you need it, up to 5 years after you started. If you still need oxygen after 5 years, you get new equipment and a new 36-month period begins. Your supplier must give you the amount of oxygen you need each month. If you're running low, contact the supplier right away.

How to find a supplier

1. Start with your doctor. Get the order or prescription first. For a power wheelchair or scooter, that means a face-to-face exam.
2. Search Medicare's supplier directory. Use Medicare.gov's medical equipment supplier tool to find suppliers near you.
3. Ask two questions before you order. "Are you enrolled in Medicare?" and "Do you accept assignment?" Medicare says to ask both before you get DME.
4. Ask how the item is covered. Rental, purchase, or your choice, and when a rented item becomes yours.

If you live in an area declared a disaster or emergency, the usual rules may change for a short time, and Medicare has a process for replacing lost or damaged equipment.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan

Medicare Advantage plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers, but you may need approval from your plan before it covers certain items, and you may need to use suppliers in the plan's network. Call your plan before you order. If the plan says no, you can appeal. See Medicare Advantage prior authorization.

Equipment scams to watch for

Medical equipment is a favorite of scammers. Medicare's own fraud guide says to be suspicious of anyone who tells you the equipment is free and they only need your Medicare Number for their records, and of suppliers that bill Medicare for a back brace, power wheelchair, or scooter you don't need. Don't accept medical supplies you didn't expect, your doctor didn't prescribe, or that come from someone you don't know. Report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Our Medicare scams guide has more.

Common questions

Related pages

• Medicare Part B: Medical Insurance — everything Part B covers and how assignment works.
• Caregivers: Managing Medicare or Medicaid for Someone Else — getting authority to act and organizing the essentials.
• Medicare Hospice and Home Health Benefits — care at home, where equipment often comes up.
• Medicare Diabetes Coverage — monitors, test strips, and supplies.
• Coverage Basics — the parts of Medicare in one place.

Official sources: Medicare.gov: Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage, Medicare.gov: Wheelchairs & scooters, Medicare.gov: Walkers, Medicare.gov: Hospital beds, Medicare.gov: Oxygen equipment & accessories, and Medicare.gov: Costs.