My 88-year-old husband’s doctor prescribed a rollator walker, which we purchased. We have the prescription and receipt. Can Medicare reimburse us if he has Medicare as primary insurance and Federal BCBS as secondary?

Question

Juan Carlos Quevedo Lussón · Accepted Answer

Possibly—but the prescription and receipt alone do not guarantee reimbursement. The most important detail is whether the seller was a Medicare-enrolled medical equipment supplier.

Medicare Part B covers medically necessary walkers, including qualifying rollators, prescribed for use in the home. Medicare will not pay if the seller is not enrolled in Medicare, even if a doctor prescribed the walker. medicare.gov

Here’s what to do:
1. Contact the seller. Ask: “Are you a Medicare-enrolled DME supplier, and can you submit a claim for this walker even though we already paid?” Provide the prescription, itemized receipt, and both insurance cards.
2. Have Medicare process the claim first. If approved, Medicare generally pays 80% of its approved amount after the Part B deductible—not necessarily 80% of the retail price. Federal BCBS then considers the remaining eligible expenses under his specific plan. Full reimbursement is not guaranteed. medicare.gov
3. If the supplier cannot or will not file, contact Medicare. Ask whether you should submit a Patient’s Request for Medical Payment, Form CMS-1490S. Filing the form yourself does not override the Medicare-enrolled supplier requirement. Medicare
4. If Medicare denies payment, contact Federal BCBS. Ask whether his plan can cover the purchase under its own durable medical equipment benefit and what documentation it requires. Being secondary does not automatically mean BCBS will pay a Medicare-denied purchase.

Antonio Rodriguez · Answer

Possibly, but the prescription and receipt alone don’t guarantee reimbursement. Medicare Part B can cover a medically necessary rollator for use in the home, but both the prescribing provider and the equipment supplier must be enrolled in Medicare.

Start by asking the seller whether it was Medicare-enrolled when you purchased the walker and whether it can submit the claim. For an approved claim, Medicare generally pays 80% of its approved amount after the Part B deductible—not necessarily 80% of the retail price.

Federal BCBS would then review the remaining costs under your husband’s specific benefits. If the seller wasn’t Medicare-enrolled, Medicare generally won’t reimburse the purchase; ask Federal BCBS whether its own equipment benefits provide any coverage. Keep the prescription, itemized receipt, and any Medicare claim decision.

Christopher Horan · Answer

Possibly, yes — and since your husband has both the doctor's prescription and the receipt, I would pursue reimbursement before assuming the money is lost.

Medicare Part B covers medically necessary walkers, including rollators, but there is an important catch: Medicare generally requires the walker to have been obtained through a Medicare-enrolled durable medical equipment (DME) supplier. Buying one yourself from a regular store can make reimbursement more difficult, even with a prescription.

Cindy Dedini · Answer

Normally, durable medical equipment is covered by Medicare, where Medicare pays 80% and the supplement pays 20%. Submit the receipt and see if you get reimbursed. You may not get 100% reimbursement, but you may get a portion of it reimbursed.

Answered by Cindy Dedini on October 19, 2026

Broker Licensed in CA, AZ, CO & 11 other states

Answered by Cindy Dedini Medicare Insurance Agent

Susan Ramirez · Answer

Medicare Part B may cover a medically necessary rollator walker, but reimbursement is not guaranteed since it was purchased out of pocket. Medicare generally requires the equipment to come from a Medicare-enrolled supplier. I would contact Medicare and Federal BCBS to ask if reimbursement is possible using the prescription and receipt.

Answered by Susan Ramirez on October 26, 2026

Agent Licensed in CA

Answered by Susan Ramirez Medicare Insurance Agent

Ingrid Kollmann · Answer

As long as the doctor prescribed it and you obtained it from an authorized vendor, it should be covered at 80 percent under Medicare Part B (durable equipment).

Edward Smith, ChFC, CRPS, AIF · Answer

Yes — Medicare Part B can cover a rollator walker if it is medically necessary, prescribed by a Medicare‑enrolled provider, and purchased from a Medicare‑enrolled supplier, but you will generally pay 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible. If you have a Medicare Supplement, it should cover all but the part B deductible and if you have a Medicare Advanatage, you could be responsible for the 20%-part B coinsurance up to the Medicare Advantage plans out of pocket annual maximum. I hope this helps.

Answered by Edward Smith, ChFC, CRPS, AIF on October 26, 2026

Broker Licensed in OH, GA, IN, KY & TN

Answered by Edward Smith, ChFC, CRPS, AIF Medicare Insurance Agent

WyeTony Cribbs · Answer

Yes, you will be reimbursed for the purchase since it was prescribed and you have a receipt. You will need to submit a claim.

Frances Eleanor Mitchell · Answer

Submit the bill bill to Medicare and then the federal insurance.  Call Medicare and ask the question

My 88-year-old husband’s doctor prescribed a rollator walker, which we purchased. We have the prescription and receipt. Can Medicare reimburse us if he has Medicare as primary insurance and Federal BCBS as secondary?

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My 88-year-old husband’s doctor prescribed a rollator walker, which we purchased. We have the prescription and receipt. Can Medicare reimburse us if he has Medicare as primary insurance and Federal BCBS as secondary?

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