Does Medicare Cover Bed Alarms?

A bed alarm is a medical device that helps caregivers monitor the activities of their patients. Most of the time, bed alarms come along with a bed sensor or bed pad. Bed alarms can help by alerting caregivers if pressure is removed from the bed. This helps to prevent falls from the bed.

If this is a device you need for yourself or a loved one, you may have the question, “does Medicare cover bed alarms?” Get the answer below in a clear, easy-to-understand way. You will also find the average costs of the bed alarms and other helpful info.

The short answer is no. In most cases, Medicare will not cover the cost of the bed alarms. That said, there may be some situations where you can get these costs covered. Below we’ll take a closer look at this to see when you might be able to get Medicare to pay for your bed alarms.

Original Medicare

Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) does not provide coverage for bed alarms. So that means you will have to pay 100 percent for your bed alarms.

The reason as to why Original Medicare does not provide coverage for bed alarms is that they are not considered medically necessary. Original Medicare does not provide coverage for bed alarms because it is not considered to be something that will improve a person’s medical condition.

Even though bed alarms may seem like durable medical equipment, or DME, Original Medicare does not provide coverage for them. Coverage for DME is provided by Medicare Part B.

Original Medicare also does not provide coverage for any medical alert systems. Again, this is because Medicare does not consider medical alert systems to be medically necessary. Original Medicare does not provide coverage for medical alert systems as they cannot improve a person’s medical condition.

Part C Coverage for Bed Alarms

Just like with Original Medicare, most Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) do not provide coverage for bed alarm. While Medicare Advantage plans cover everything Original Medicare covers, they will also provide coverage for some things that Original Medicare does not. What that coverage includes and how much it costs depend on your plan.

However, Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) may provide coverage for medical alert systems. Some Medicare Part C plans provide coverage for medical alert systems. It is possible that there are some Part C plans that may cover a bed alarm. However, we were unable to find any.

To know if your Medicare Part C plan provides coverage for medical alert systems or bed alarms, it is best to contact them and ask if they provide coverage for them.

How Much Do Bed Alarms Cost?

If you do have to pay for a bed alarm out of pocket, the good news is that they are not terribly expensive. You can find some for around $40 or so. On the high end, they can cost around $200. The cost varies greatly depending on the brand and model of the alarm.

Note: Medicare coverage changes all the time. And your specific coverage may vary from plan to plan for Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans. Always be sure to double check with your health care provider and/or Medicare insurance provider about what your plan covers and what it does not.