Will Medicare Cover Walk-In Tub Installation

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are older adults, or youth who are disabled (physical handicaps), or those who suffer from painful conditions.

Medicare helps you with the payment for equipment that is medically necessary. But will Medicare pay for a walk-in tub? Unfortunately, walk-in tubs are rather considered as a choice and not a medical necessity for Medicare.

Thus they won’t be paying for the cost of a walk-in bathtub for most people however, there are exceptions.

What Are My Options?

You don’t have to be disappointed with this news as you still have other ways to make them help you. Yes you do have options! There might be rare circumstances where Medicare does offer payment assistance. And the assistance comes in the form of reimbursement, not in advance of the purchase. For this, the walk- bathtub has to be considered an utter medical necessity.

The beneficiaries will be needing a medical diagnosis that will prove their need along with a written prescription outlining the reasons for which a walk-in bathtub is essential plus any features specific to a brand.

There Is No Guarantee

However, even with all the support, there’s still no guarantee of the assistance of Medicare.

So, as for Medicare, it would be the best to consider the tub as an out of pocket purchase, submit the claim and hope for the assistance but you have to be prepared money-wise to pay the total cost involving tub purchase and walk-in tub installation fees or you have to look for other sources of assistance.

How Do I Get Medical Reimbursement?

At first, before you purchase your walk-in bathtub, you have to get a doctor’s prescription. Without the prescription, you have no chance of getting a Medicare reimbursement.

Afterwards, you have to ensure that you can afford the purchase. It’s because there will be a chance that you won’t get assistance from Medicare, so you should prepare yourself to have the total cost of your walk-in tub. This involves remodeling costs plus the purchase price of the tub.

You can contact several contractors to ensure that you have considered and compared all of the costs. Show the contractor specifications for the walk-in tub installation. Show the contractor the bathroom where you want to install the tub into. And compare quotes.

Also once you’ve received multiple quotes make sure to read reviews of the different companies. It’s because bathrooms are infamous for having buried damage beneath the tub. So, when the contractor takes out your old bathtub, he might find out dry rot or other damage.

What Will Be My Loss If My Prescription Is Not Approved?

As there is no guarantee that you will be successful, if they deny your request, your only loss will be the cost of envelopes, photocopying, and postage. Bathing is a vital part of maintaining health. If more older adults request consideration to get reimbursements, Medicare may change their practice.

However, after you are done with the purchase of your walk-in tub, submit your doctor's prescription, as well as the paid invoice for the tub to Medicare. Medicare does reimburse a portion of your purchase price rarely, so it does make sense to look for partial reimbursement.