DDMEAtlasReference
Medicare Coverage

Does Medicare cover hospital beds?

A practical starting point for Original Medicare, with links to the rules that determine coverage.

On this page
THE SHORT ANSWER

Yes, when the applicable requirements are met.

Part B may cover a medically necessary hospital bed prescribed for use at home. Use a Medicare-enrolled supplier and confirm assignment.

What to confirm

  1. Medical need and the selected bed

    Your treating provider and supplier should check the hospital-bed policy for the specific configuration.

  2. Order and supporting records

    Ask what documentation is required before delivery. A prescription alone does not guarantee payment.

  3. Supplier and payment terms

    Confirm enrollment, assignment, rental or purchase arrangements, and any noncovered upgrades.

What might you pay?

For Original Medicare, after the Part B deductible, the usual share is 20% of the approved amount when the supplier accepts assignment. Other coverage can change your out-of-pocket cost.

Published fee ≠ your final bill

Ask the supplier for a written estimate that separates covered equipment, optional upgrades and your expected share.

Questions worth asking

Does every electric bed qualify?

No. CMS guidance excludes total-electric hospital beds under this policy because powered height adjustment is a convenience feature. Semi-electric beds have separate medical-need criteria. Check the applicable policy with your supplier.

Can I use this with Medicare Advantage?

Contact your plan about its network, authorization process and costs. This guide summarizes Original Medicare information.

Can the fee lookup confirm my eligibility?

No. A fee schedule is a payment reference. Coverage requires separate checks.

Policy versions used in this reference

CMS source snapshot checked September 30, 2026. Version, effective date and source update date are separate fields. Confirm the edition applicable to the date of service.

Policy / CMS versionRevision labelRevision effective dateSource updated
L33820 · v21R62020-01-012020-02-13
A52508 · v39R72020-01-012022-04-07
A55426 · v132R282024-01-012026-06-24
NCD 280.7 · v1Not displayedNot posted by CMS2022-10-04

NCD 280.7 is a national policy. CMS has not posted its effective date; no date is inferred. Its version and update date come from CMS embedded document metadata. LCD/article versions are also checked against the public version table. An open ending date does not guarantee future applicability.

Applicable jurisdiction

NCD 280.7 provides the national coverage layer. L33820, A52508 and A55426 list the following DME MAC contracts and state/territory scopes. This reference summarizes Original Medicare; Medicare Advantage plan requirements need separate confirmation.

J-A · Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC · Contract 16013

CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

J-B · CGS Administrators, LLC · Contract 17013

IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, OH, WI

J-C · CGS Administrators, LLC · Contract 18003

AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, LA, MS, NM, NC, OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI, VA, WV

J-D · Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC · Contract 19003

AK, AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, ID, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, NV, ND, MP, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY

DME MAC policy jurisdiction is separate from fee-schedule Former CBA and rural ZIP geography. The fee lookup does not select or approve a coverage policy.

Order and documentation context

  • A55426 requires a standard written order (SWO) before a claim is submitted, supporting medical records, and supplier proof-of-delivery records. Item-specific LCD and policy-article requirements must also be checked.
  • Face-to-face encounter and written-order-prior-to-delivery (WOPD) rules apply to selected items on the applicable required list; they are not a blanket requirement for all hospital-bed codes.
  • The CMS E0260 status page, observed September 30, 2026, says “No” for prior authorization and F2F/WOPD. This observation is not a historical determination and does not waive SWO or coverage requirements.
  • NCD 280.7 section D adds the ability to operate powered controls, with specified exceptions, to the frequent/immediate-positioning context. Read the full NCD and LCD rather than using this summary as an eligibility checklist.

The currently linked CMS required-list PDF is effective October 28, 2026. It is retained as future evidence and is not applied to the July–September 2026 fee preview.

Editorial review record

Source check
Completed by Codex (automated assistant)
2026-09-30T05:14:48.835186+00:00
Recorded review
Evan · September 30, 2026 · All 12 checklist items approved, including fee calculations and billing rules
Record ID
sample-coverage-20260930-01
Release status
Public reference published · Fixed Q3 snapshot

The review approval was supplied by Evan for Site V5 and its fixed Q3 snapshot. Reviewer credentials were not supplied; no professional qualification is inferred. The original source-check record is preserved below. This summary does not determine individual coverage or payment.

  • Recorded exact CMS versions and separated effective/update/check dates.
  • Added national and four DME MAC jurisdiction scopes.
  • Qualified selected-item F2F/WOPD rules and added observed E0260 status.
  • Preserved missing NCD effective date and the original pending-review source-check record; Evan subsequently approved the fixed snapshot.

Official sources

Source checks: September 29–30, 2026. This is not a policy effective date or a clinical review. Confirm the current source and applicable version before use.

Medicare.gov · Hospital beds

General Part B eligibility and patient cost-sharing.

CMS · Hospital Beds and Accessories, L33820

Equipment-specific criteria; check the version applicable to the date of service.

CMS · Hospital beds provider guidance

Coverage and documentation summary, including electric-bed limitations.