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Does Medicare Cover Depends?

Depends is a popular brand of adult diapers. They are used mainly by adults who are incontinent.

While individual diapers are not terribly expensive, if you need them for a long time, the costs can add up. Which brings us to the common question “Does Medicare cover Depends?”

We answer this question below and also share information about costs as well as some helpful general information on incontinence.

Does Medicare Cover Depends?

Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover medical supplies that are for incontinence. Depends and other adult diapers do not meet the standard of Durable Medical Equipment (DME), which Medicare Part B covers.

Why? Because adult diapers are disposable, they are not durable and long-lasting.

But there are certain circumstances where Medicare may cover your incontinence supplies.

One specific situation is if you are a patient in a hospital facility. In this case, all of the supplies – including incontinence supplies – that you need will be covered by Medicare Part A. The same can be said if you stay in a skilled nursing facility.

Coverage for Incontinence Treatment

And even though Medicare does not usually cover medical supplies for incontinence, Medicare Part B covers medical treatment for the illness itself.

The treatments they cover include medical services, diagnostic tests, and doctor visits. Medicare Part B also covers follow up treatments. For this, you will need to pay for your Medicare Part B deductible as well as your coinsurance. Your cost is usually 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for any service you get.

If your doctor prescribes medications to treat your incontinence, Medicare Part D may cover the cost of the prescribed drugs. You can acquire Medicare Part D insurance by enrolling in the Part D itself or enrolling in the Medicare Advantage plan that includes a Medicare Prescription plan.

How Much Do Adult Diapers Cost?

A pack of Depend FIT-FLEX Incontinence Underwear for Men (size Large) with 52 pieces of Diapers costs around $36.61. In contrast, the women’s variant of this product costs around $39.99.

What Are The Five Types Of Incontinence?

Stress Incontinence

For this type of incontinence, the stress is not mental, but rather, it is caused by extra stress and pressure on the bladder. The stress may come from or can be caused by overweight, pregnancy, carrying heavy objects, and more.

Urge Incontinence

This occurs when the nerves or muscles that surround the bladder are damaged. This can be caused by several illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or stroke.

Overflow Incontinence

This condition occurs more in men when they are having problems emptying their bladder. This results in the bladder overfilling. This can be caused by many things such as enlarged prostate, a damaged nerve, a tumor, constipation, medications, or weak bladder muscles.

Functional Incontinence

This condition occurs because of physical or mental impairments. It can be commonly associated with severe arthritis, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Mixed Incontinence

This occurs when two types of incontinence affect a person simultaneously. This happens more for women than men.

Living With Incontinence

Incontinence is something many people find embarrassing. Embarrassing as it is for most people, you should know that many people experience this. It affects a majority of the elderly population.

35% of female Medicare clients and around 25% suffer from incontinence. It’s a sensitive subject that you must definitely discuss with your doctor so they can help you better.

We hope that this information has helped answer some of your questions about incontinence.

Note: Medicare coverage changes all the time. And your specific coverage may impact what gets covered and what doesn’t. Always be sure to double check with your health care provider and/or Medicare insurance provider about what is and isn’t covered by your plan.

Additional Info on Medicare Coverage

This article is part of our series on “What does Medicare cover?”

Also, you can check out other articles in this series including: Does Medicare Cover Walk-In Showers?

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