Hospital bed supplier checklist: questions before delivery

Before you call

This checklist helps you prepare a conversation about a hospital bed for home use. It does not establish medical need, authorize delivery, determine coverage or quote your personal cost. Keep medical records and Medicare identifiers out of DMEAtlas; share them only through your provider’s or supplier’s appropriate process.

1. Confirm the bed and the order

Ask: “Which bed configuration will you supply, and which code will you bill? Does it match the treating provider’s order? What records or steps remain before delivery?” Do not assume every hospital bed is E0260. The DMEAtlas code reference covers one configuration; the supplied item needs its own check. Medicare.gov describes Part B coverage in terms of medical necessity, a provider prescription and home use. S1

2. Ask about enrollment and assignment

Ask: “Are you enrolled in Medicare? Will you accept assignment for this item and for every rental month? Who will submit the claim?” Enrollment and accepting assignment are separate questions. Medicare.gov recommends checking both before obtaining equipment. S1 When assignment applies, Medicare.gov says the supplier submits the claim directly and cannot charge for submitting it. S2

3. Request a written cost explanation

Ask: “What would I owe at delivery and each month? What deductible, coinsurance or other insurance assumptions are in this estimate? Which optional items or services are extra?” For covered Original Medicare Part B hospital beds, Medicare.gov describes the usual share as 20% of the approved amount after the deductible, when the supplier accepts assignment. This is conditional, not a quote for your order. S1 Ask the supplier to list the bed, included components, optional upgrades and any extra charges separately. A published fee reference alone does not answer those questions.

4. Clarify the rental arrangement

Ask: “Is this order a rental or purchase? When does billing begin? How are rental months recorded? What happens if I change suppliers, no longer need the bed or return it?” Medicare explains that rental and purchase arrangements vary by equipment. S3 Request the terms that apply to your item; this checklist does not specify an ownership-transfer date or decide rental continuity.

5. Arrange delivery and support

Ask: “When can delivery occur, and what access or space do you need? Who will explain the controls and provide the manufacturer’s instructions? Who do I call for a fault, and how are repairs, replacement equipment or collection arranged?” These are practical planning questions, not promises of free delivery, a loaner bed or a particular response time. Ask for any related charges and contact details in writing. For equipment suitability or safe use, speak with your treating team and follow the applicable instructions.

Keep a short call record

Write down the supplier’s name, the date, the proposed item/code, assignment answer, estimate, outstanding steps and support number. Ask which answers still need confirmation. Keep this record privately; DMEAtlas does not collect it. If you have Medicare Advantage, confirm your plan’s requirements and costs directly with the plan before relying on this Original Medicare checklist.

Related references

• E0260 code
• Hospital-bed coverage
• How to read E0260 fees

Sources and scope

• S1: Medicare.gov — Hospital beds — observed October 4, 2026.
• S2: Medicare.gov — Accepting assignment — observed October 4, 2026.
• S3: Medicare.gov — DME coverage — observed October 4, 2026.

Delivery, repair, estimate and return questions are editorial suggestions, not added coverage rules. Independent educational reference; not CMS, a supplier or an insurer.