Does Medicare cover walkers and rollators?
Short answer: yes, if you qualify. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers walkers, including rollators, as durable medical equipment (DME) when your doctor or other health care provider orders one for use in your home.
What Medicare covers
Part B covers medically necessary DME that your doctor or other provider orders for use in your home. Walkers are DME, and rollators count as walkers if you're eligible (Medicare.gov).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) equipment list, National Coverage Determination (NCD) 280.1, says walkers are covered if you meet the Mobility Assistive Equipment criteria in section 280.3 (CMS).
What you pay
After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, if your supplier accepts assignment (Medicare.gov).
Choosing a supplier
- Medicare only pays for equipment from suppliers enrolled in Medicare.
- Ask the supplier whether it participates in Medicare before you get the walker. Participating suppliers must accept assignment.
- A supplier that doesn't accept assignment can charge you more.
- Depending on the item, you may rent it, buy it, or have a choice.
Source: Medicare.gov, Walkers.
If you might need a wheelchair later
Medicare expects equipment to last at least 5 years, counted from the day it's delivered. This is called the reasonable useful lifetime (Noridian, a Medicare contractor).
Medicare can deny an item that is the "same or similar" to one you already have and that is still within its 5 years. Noridian's chart lists walkers as similar to manual wheelchairs (Noridian, Same or Similar Chart). So if Medicare paid for your walker, a claim for a manual wheelchair within those 5 years can be denied.
There's an exception. A change in your medical condition may call for a different item, and your doctor must document it (Noridian).
If a wheelchair may be needed soon, ask your doctor, occupational therapist or supplier before Medicare pays for a walker. One option to ask about: buying the walker yourself, so there's no Medicare walker claim on your record when you need the wheelchair. Rules can differ between Medicare contractors, so ask your supplier how yours applies them.
Buying one yourself
If you don't qualify, or you want a model your supplier doesn't carry, you can buy a walker or rollator yourself. Compare rollators and walkers by weight capacity and height range, from each maker's own specs. You can also borrow one first through your state's loan program.
What about shower chairs?
Original Medicare doesn't pay for shower chairs, bath benches, raised toilet seats or grab bars. See does Medicare pay for shower chairs?