Are you needing medical equipment such as a wheelchair, scooter, or CPAP machine & wondering if Medicare is going to cover it - & where you need to go to get your medical equipment?
Items like these are called Durable Medical Equipment & are charged to the Part B portion of your Medicare coverage. As a reminder, Part B pays for doctors, labs & durable medical equipment, while Part A pays for hospital costs.
How much you will have to pay is determined by what type of plan you have. For example, Medicare Supplement Plan G will cover 100% of your cost (after you’ve paid the yearly Part B Deductible - & assuming it’s an approved Medicare device).
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan you will need to either call your agent or check the Evidence of Coverage for the plan you’re enrolled in. This will tell you how much of the cost of the equipment the plan will expect you to pay for.
You will also have to use an in-network medical equipment supplier if you have a Medicare Advantage plan.
There are no networks or restrictions with a Medicare Supplement plan, the medical equipment company only needs to accept Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans can vary quite a bit in their coverage of medical equipment, so if you are looking at an ongoing medical situation that should be one thing you should take into consideration when comparing plans.
If you are going to be turning 65 & know that you will need specific medical equipment going forwards, you should definitely take that into consideration when deciding between a Medicare Advantage plan & a Medicare Supplement plan.
Keep in mind that you only have a small window of time to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan with a Guaranteed Issue when you first enroll in Medicare – meaning you can’t be denied due to preexisting conditions.
If you are going to be turning 65 and know that you will be needing specific medical equipment, feel free to contact me to go through you Medicare options so we can be sure to save you as much money as possible.
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