Get Your New Mattress Covered by Medicare

Do you need a new mattress, but can’t afford it? If you currently receive Medicare you could get the cost of your mattress covered.

If you have been sleeping on a bad mattress for a while, then you could be suffering from several problems. So many studies link a poor night’s rest with a multitude of ailments. If you are on Medicare chances are good you are 65 years of age or older. As the body ages the amount of sleep and time for repair and recovery increase. This is significantly impacted if you are sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress. Luckily, Medicare will cover your mattress if you meet the following criteria. Read on to find out how to get your new mattress covered by Medicare.

What Kind of Beds will Medicare Cover?

Medicare covers several types of beds and mattresses. If you subscribe to Medicare, it is a good idea to take a closer look at their guidelines and the criteria to ensure your new bed is covered. First, you will need to get a prescription from a doctor to state the bed is necessary for medical reasons. Second, the bed must qualify as a durable medical device, or DME. Third, the bed must match five simple criteria.

If you cannot meet all three conditions, there are other affordable options you might wish to consider.

Basically, you will have to ensure the mattress is classed as durable medical equipment, often shortened to ‘DME’. To earn a DME classification, a mattress must be a critical part of the patient’s life. Therefore you need a doctor’s prescription to say such a bed is necessary for medical reasons.

You can only get this designation from your doctor after he or she determines that you need such a bed. The physician must report to Medicare details about the medical condition for which a special bed is required.

As well as being designated as DME, the following criteria must be met:

For medical use only.
Must be used at home.
Can handle repeated use.
Must have a minimum 3 year life expectancy.
Only useful to someone injured or sick.

Summing this up, if your mattress does meet the above criteria, you can expect that Medicare will cover up to 80% of the cost of the mattress. With very few exceptions, the only types of mattresses covered by insurance are pressure-reducing ones.

Determine if this Type of Mattress is Best for You

Not every patient finds a pressure-reducing mattress to be the best option. As you might expect, there are specific guidelines to determine whether a pressure-reducing mattress is a good fit for a patient.

If you can answer yes to at least one of these questions, a pressure-reducing mattress is probably the best option for you. If you cannot answer yes to any of them then it is more likely you should consider other affordable options:

Do you need positioning to reduce pain which is not possible with a conventional bed?
Do you have a medical condition which needs body position not possible with a conventional bed?
Does your head need to be elevated more than 30 degrees because of a medical condition and a regular wedge or pillow would not work?

If you answer yes to one of the above questions, Medicare should approve you for a bed or mattress covered by your insurance. The first step is to schedule a visit with your doctor to discuss your medical requirements.

Severe arthritis, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, specific cardiac diseases, and spinal cord injuries are some examples of conditions where Medicare might cover a special bed.

Not all features are covered by insurance. An electric-powered bed, adjustable height features and side rails are not included in basic coverage but one or more of these options might be included if your doctor believes they are necessary.

Does Medicare Cover Adjustable Beds?

Both A and B parts of original Medicare insurance cover an adjustable bed, like a hospital bed. An adjustable bed allows a patient to elevate or move different parts of the bed to suit various medical needs. A simple hospital bed, for example, allows a patient to elevate the head end or the foot end of the bed.

However, Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient medical equipment like DME, might only cover the cost of a loaned or rental bed while you need it, rather than paying for a brand-new adjustable bed for the long-term.

If you are recuperating from an injury, for example, you might only need a special bed for a matter of weeks or months. Depending on which bed you need as well as the supplier, you might be able to purchase the bed, rent the bed or choose between these two options.

How to Find the Best Mattress for Your Needs

In the event you are approved, your next task is deciding on the actual mattress. You might like to go for a hybrid or memory foam mattress, either of which can offer a comfortable sleeping experience. Memory foam mattresses are known for reasonable pricing, wide availability, and excellent body support.

The following are high quality memory foam mattresses:

Molecule 1: The comfortable foam on this mattress will make resting and sleeping a pleasant experience again.

AS2 by Amerisleep: A low price and high-quality memory foam will deliver freedom from your aches and pains.

The Idle Sleep: Special gel foam is used in this bed to ensure nighttime relief from pain.

Another option is the hybrid mattress which is a combination of innerspring and memory foam.

The following are high quality hybrid mattresses:

The Ghostbed Hybrid Flex: This is not the cheapest hybrid mattress available, but it is very good at soothing your medical ailments.

Saatva Classic Mattress: A great choice which should relieve aches and pains.

Luma’s Natural Latex Hybrid: Competitively priced with latex to offer supreme comfort.

The Best 5 Mattresses of 2021

Mattresses and beds are always a personal choice but if you have a medical issue you need to take that into account when bed shopping. This means you need to consider more than simply the comfort of the mattress.

We have narrowed down the top 5 mattresses you might wish to consider getting a great night’s sleep and soothe any medical aches and pains:

The Saatva mattress works well whatever sleeping position you find the most comfortable.

The Idle ensures pressure relief thanks to its specially designed gel foam filling.

Ghostbed might cost a little more than some others but it offers a plush cover with aerated latex to ensure correct spine alignment.

Winkbeds offers free shipping and returns and their mattresses include 3-stage back relief for superior comfort.