Medicare Part B covers durable medical equipment (DME) such as oxygen, hospital beds, wheelchairs and walkers when a doctor orders it for use at home and your parent gets it from a supplier enrolled in Medicare. In 2026, your parent pays the first $283 of Part B costs for the year, then generally 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. The details that cost families money are which supplier you use and whether that supplier accepts assignment.
What counts as durable medical equipment
Medicare describes DME as reusable medical equipment. Medicare.gov lists covered items that include, among others:
- Canes, crutches and walkers
- Commode chairs
- Hospital beds
- Wheelchairs and scooters
- Oxygen equipment and accessories
- CPAP machines and other respiratory devices
- Blood sugar monitors, test strips and lancets
- Infusion pumps and supplies
Medicare's DME booklet says Part B covers equipment your doctor prescribes for use in your home. A hospital, or a nursing home that is providing Medicare-covered care, doesn't count as home, but a long-term care facility can. So if your parent lives in assisted living, the equipment rules work much as they would in a house.
The three things that must line up
1. A doctor's order
Your parent's doctor or treating provider must prescribe the type of equipment by filling out an order. For some items, Medicare also requires records showing the medical need. If your parent's needs change, the doctor must send a new order.
For wheelchairs and scooters, the doctor must state that your parent needs one because of their medical condition. Medicare won't cover a power wheelchair or scooter that is only needed outside the home.
2. A supplier enrolled in Medicare
Medicare only pays for DME from a supplier enrolled in Medicare. Enrolled suppliers have a Medicare supplier number, and claims from suppliers without one are not paid. You can find a medical equipment supplier near your parent on Pairlo, or use Medicare's own supplier finder at medicare.gov.
3. A supplier that accepts assignment
This is the step families most often miss. Assignment means the supplier agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. According to Medicare.gov:
- A supplier that participates in Medicare must accept assignment.
- A non-participating supplier doesn't have to, but may choose to in your case.
- If a supplier doesn't participate or won't accept assignment, your parent may be charged more.
- For rented equipment, make sure the supplier will accept assignment for all rental months, not just the first.
Ask before anything is delivered: "Are you enrolled in Medicare, and will you accept assignment for every month of this rental?"
If your parent has a Medicare Advantage plan, call the plan before ordering and ask which suppliers it works with and whether prior approval is needed.
Rent or buy: how Medicare pays
Medicare pays for most DME on a rental basis. It buys only inexpensive or routinely purchased items outright, such as canes, walkers and blood sugar monitors.
Hospital beds and wheelchairs
For some more expensive items, including hospital beds and wheelchairs, Medicare pays rent for 13 months of continuous use. After the 13th month, the supplier must transfer ownership of the equipment to your parent.
While equipment is rented, the supplier must maintain and repair it. Once your parent owns it, the supplier that sold it isn't required to repair it, but Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount for repairs, up to the cost of replacing the item. Medicare may also replace equipment that is lost, stolen, damaged beyond repair, or used beyond its reasonable useful lifetime, which is generally five years.
Oxygen: the rental rules
Oxygen works differently from other equipment, and the rules matter if your parent will use it for a long time.
Who qualifies
Medicare.gov says your parent's oxygen is covered when all of these are true: their doctor says they aren't getting enough oxygen, their health might improve with oxygen therapy, and their arterial blood gas level falls within a certain range. Some other conditions, such as cluster headaches, may also qualify.
What the rental covers
The monthly rental covers the oxygen system, containers that store oxygen, tubing and related supplies, refills of tanks or cylinders, and maintenance.
The 36-month and 5-year timeline
- Months 1 to 36: your parent rents the equipment, and Medicare pays the supplier monthly.
- After 36 months: Medicare stops paying rent for the equipment itself, but the supplier must keep providing oxygen equipment and supplies for an additional 24 months, as long as your parent medically needs them. Medicare keeps paying for oxygen contents delivered after the 36-month rental period.
- Throughout the 5 years: the supplier owns the equipment and must keep it in good working order at no charge for that service. Your parent may owe coinsurance for maintenance visits every six months if the supplier comes to the home to inspect a concentrator or portable filling system.
- After 5 years: the supplier no longer has to provide the equipment. If your parent still needs oxygen, they get new equipment, from the same supplier or a different one, and a new 36-month period starts.
A supplier can't switch your parent's type of oxygen equipment from month to month unless the doctor orders it. If your parent will travel and needs a portable oxygen concentrator, Medicare's booklet says to let the supplier know weeks in advance.
Competitive bidding
Medicare runs a competitive bidding program in which suppliers bid to provide certain items and Medicare pays set amounts based on the winning bids. According to a CMS fact sheet updated in December 2025, the next round is set to take effect no later than January 1, 2028, and covers continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps, urological and ostomy supplies, certain urinary catheters, and off-the-shelf back, knee and upper-extremity braces. Oxygen is not on that list. If your parent uses any of those items and lives in an affected area, they may need to switch to a contract supplier when the round begins; CMS describes a six-month transition period.
Reordering supplies
Many items, like oxygen tubing, CPAP masks and diabetes test strips, are used up and need regular refills. Under Medicare's refill requirements for DME suppliers (as published by the DME contractors in 2017):
- Suppliers may not ship refills automatically, even if your parent agreed to it.
- Someone, your parent or a caregiver, must request each refill.
- The supplier may contact you no sooner than 14 days before delivery, and deliver no sooner than 10 days before current supplies run out.
- The supplier should ask how much of each item is left, or whether reusable items still work.
That means a refill can slip if no one answers the supplier's call. Decide which family member is the point person for each supplier, and put reorder dates on a shared calendar.
What to keep on file
Keep a simple folder, paper or digital, with:
- A copy of each doctor's order for equipment
- Each supplier's name, phone number and confirmation that it accepts assignment
- Delivery tickets, with the start date of each rental (this tells you when the 13-month or 36-month mark arrives)
- Your parent's Medicare Summary Notices and supplier bills, so you can spot charges for items never received
- Serial numbers and repair history for owned equipment
Also tell the supplier if your parent changes insurance or doctors, is admitted to a hospital or nursing home, travels, or moves. Our documents checklist covers the other papers worth keeping together.
If your parent is on hospice
Once your parent elects hospice, equipment related to the terminal illness comes through the hospice. Medicare's hospice booklet lists medical equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, and supplies such as bandages and catheters, among the services the hospice benefit covers. Call the hospice team rather than ordering through a DME supplier. You can find a hospice and compare CMS family survey ratings.
Your next steps
- Get the order. Ask your parent's doctor to send the equipment order and any required records.
- Pick the supplier carefully. Confirm it is enrolled in Medicare and will accept assignment for every rental month.
- Write down the start date of every rental so you know when ownership or the oxygen timeline changes.
- Name a point person for each supplier's refill calls, and keep the folder above up to date.
- Get local help if you're far away. An aging life care manager can coordinate deliveries and equipment changes. Find a care manager.
