Does Medicare rent or buy my home medical equipment, and when do the monthly charges stop?

Question

James Parsley · Accepted Answer

Medicare may help pay to rent or buy your home medical equipment—it depends on the item. Under Original Medicare, equipment such as many wheelchairs, hospital beds, and CPAP machines is rented for 13 continuous months of covered use. After that, ownership transfers to you and the equipment rental charges stop. You may still have costs for supplies, maintenance, or repairs.

Oxygen equipment follows different rules. Equipment rental payments generally stop after 36 months, but the supplier retains ownership and must continue providing equipment and necessary services through the five-year period while you medically need it. Charges for oxygen contents and certain maintenance services may continue.

With Original Medicare, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting your Part B deductible, unless other coverage helps pay your share. Medicare Advantage costs and rental arrangements can differ. I recommend asking your supplier or plan: “Is this a rental or purchase, when do rental charges end, and what costs will continue afterward?”

Jeremy Harkins · Answer

It depends on the type of equipment.

Medicare Part B covers certain durable medical equipment, such as walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, and oxygen equipment, when it is medically necessary and ordered for use in your home.

Some equipment is purchased outright, while many items are treated as capped rentals. For capped-rental equipment, Medicare generally makes rental payments for no more than 13 months of continuous use. After the 13th paid rental month, ownership generally transfers to you and the regular monthly rental charge stops.

Not every piece of equipment follows that rule.

Oxygen equipment is different. Medicare generally makes rental payments for the oxygen equipment for up to 36 months of continuous use. After the 36th payment, the regular rental payment for the equipment stops, but the supplier generally continues to own the oxygen equipment and must continue providing it for the remainder of the equipment's 5-year reasonable useful lifetime as long as you still medically need oxygen. Medicare may continue paying separately for oxygen contents and certain maintenance or servicing.

Other equipment may be purchased rather than rented. Examples can include certain inexpensive or routinely purchased equipment, customized items, and some specialized equipment.

If you are seeing monthly charges and are not sure when they should stop, ask the medical equipment supplier:

What Medicare billing category is this equipment under?

Is it a capped rental?

Which rental month am I currently in?

When should my coinsurance for the equipment stop?

Will I own the equipment when the rental period ends?

If the charges continue beyond the expected rental period, check your Medicare Summary Notice and contact the supplier to find out exactly what is still being billed.

Ann Sanfelippo · Answer

Medicare Part B covers medically necessary durable medical equipment (DME), such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and oxygen equipment, but whether Medicare rents or purchases the equipment depends on the type. For many items, Medicare pays monthly rental charges for up to 13 months, after which you generally own the equipment and rental payments stop. However, certain equipment, such as oxygen equipment, follows different rules, including a 36-month rental period and supplier obligations that generally extend for five years. With Original Medicare, you typically pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting your Part B deductible. Always confirm the rental terms and your financial responsibility with your Medicare-approved equipment supplier.

Answered by Ann Sanfelippo on October 16, 2026

Broker Licensed in FL, AL, AZ & 14 other states

Answered by Ann Sanfelippo Medicare Insurance Agent

Alisa Ugalde · Answer

Part B covers equipment through Medicare-enrolled suppliers — you pay 20% after the deductible. Most equipment is rented with a cap: after 13 monthly payments, you own it. Oxygen is the exception — payments stop after 36 months.

Answered by Alisa Ugalde on October 18, 2026

Broker Licensed in CA

Answered by Alisa Ugalde Medicare Insurance Agent

Keith Farrell · Answer

Most rental fees stop after 13 months, but oxygen equipment may continue for up to 36 months. After the 13 months for most equipment, ownership of the equipment, generally transfers to the beneficiary. There is a different handling for the oxygen equipment. After 36 months, the supplier may generally be required to provide up to another 24 months with no additional charges. The beneficiary would pay a 20% coinsurance for all of these items with no out-of-pocket maximum.

Answered by Keith Farrell on October 24, 2026

Agent Licensed in VA & WV

Answered by Keith Farrell Medicare Insurance Agent

Samuel Tripp · Answer

Your Covered California plan won’t automatically end when you turn 65, so you’ll need to coordinate the switch. Start planning about three months before your birthday, confirm your Medicare start dates, and review your coverage options. Don’t delay Part B simply because your Covered California plan is still active—it doesn’t protect you from Medicare late-enrollment penalties.

If you qualify for premium-free Part A, you generally lose eligibility for Covered California financial help, so confirm exactly when your subsidies should stop. Report your Medicare eligibility within 30 days and request cancellation at least 14 days in advance, arranging for your Covered California coverage to end the day before Medicare begins. Confirm your new coverage first so you don’t accidentally leave a gap.

If your spouse or children still need Covered California, they can keep their coverage if they remain eligible—just update the application and have their financial help recalculated. And if you would have to pay a premium for Part A, you may be able to keep Covered California with financial help instead, depending on your circumstances. That’s worth reviewing together before making any changes.

Garoll Parks · Answer

No, not really. Medically necessary equipment that is prescribed by your doctor can be covered by some Medicare plans.

Christopher Douglas · Answer

After you meet your Part B deductible, Medicare typically pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount, leaving you responsible for a 20% co-insurance.

Does Medicare rent or buy my home medical equipment, and when do the monthly charges stop?

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Does Medicare rent or buy my home medical equipment, and when do the monthly charges stop?

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