Does Medicare cover blood pressure cuff and monitors?

Having a blood pressure monitor for use at home is medically necessary for many Americans. Because of this need, Medicare does cover a portion of the costs of renting a blood pressure monitor.

Medicare does not cover the entire cost of renting the medical devices, even if you meet the requirements. Because of this, having good health insurance can really benefit you in many ways.

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Does Medicare cover blood pressure monitors?

Medicare Part B will cover up to 80% of costs associated with renting an ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM), and 80% for a manual blood pressure monitor with a stethoscope. According to Medicare.gov, to cover this portion of the costs you will need to prove that the in-home use of a monitor is medically necessary.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan through your health insurance provider, then you should talk with your insurance provider and see if the plan that you are enrolled in covers blood pressure cuffs. Keeping up with the latest insurance news can also help you to stay on top of what is covered and if things have changed.

When will Medicare cover an ambulatory blood pressure monitor?

Medicare will cover a portion of the cost of renting an ABPM if you meet specific requirements on your medical blood pressure chart. Meeting these requirements help to determine if in-home use is medically necessary.

If a person has white coat hypertension, in order to get accurate readings, they should have a blood pressure monitor at home. White coat hypertension is when a patient’s blood pressure readings are high when being checked by a doctor or healthcare worker, but are normal at other times. These spikes in blood pressure are usually due to anxiety such as being in a clinical setting. There are many people that prefer home care due to being nervous around doctors and in hospitals.

There is also masked hypertension. Masked hypertension is the opposite of white coat syndrome. If a patient’s blood pressure is suspected to be high at normal times throughout the day, but are showing normal ranges when being tested in a clinical setting, then blood pressure measurements may not be as accurate as they should be.

Both of these situations would be considered detrimental to a patient’s health since they don’t allow for accurate readings, so an ambulatory blood pressure monitor may be requested by a doctor.

Are blood pressure monitors covered by Medicare?

There are both mechanical blood pressure monitors and manual blood pressure monitors. If you need a blood pressure monitor covered by Medicare, you’ll want to check with them to see which type you’ll need, and whether or not they will cover it.

Medicare will not cover the cost of manual blood pressure monitors and blood pressure cuffs, except for one situation. Medicare will cover up to 80% of the costs associated with these devices for patients that are undergoing dialysis at home.

An ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device is different than a manual type with a stethoscope. Medicare will only cover the cost of renting an ambulatory blood pressure monitor if you meet the required criteria. Medicare will then cover up to 80% of the costs.

Does Medicare cover blood pressure cuffs?

Medicare can cover the costs of replacing your blood pressure cuffs. Blood pressure cuffs are what are known as “durable medical equipment” since they are not single-use. To begin with, the rental of a manual blood pressure monitor, or an ABPM, should come with a blood pressure cuff.

In Conclusion

Paying the cost for at-home medical equipment can be prohibitive if it is not fully covered under Medicare. Thankfully, many healthcare insurance providers offer what is known as Medicare Advantage plans which can help cover some costs.

Make sure to shop around before you buy health insurance. This free-to-use tool just needs your ZIP code to start showing you the best insurance quotes in your area.