If you’re pricing a walk-in tub for yourself or a parent, one of the first questions is whether Medicare will help pay for it. The short answer is no. There are still a few places worth checking.
Here’s what Original Medicare covers, where Medicare Advantage plans differ, and which other programs Louisiana families can check, from the team at Big Easy Bathrooms. Rules change, so confirm your own coverage with Medicare or your plan before you buy.
Does Original Medicare pay for a walk-in tub?
No. Original Medicare doesn’t treat a walk-in tub as covered medical equipment, even when a doctor recommends one.
Medicare Part B pays for durable medical equipment when a doctor orders it for use in your home. To qualify, an item has to meet Medicare’s tests, including being “typically only useful to someone who is sick or injured,” according to Medicare’s equipment coverage page.
A walk-in tub doesn’t pass those tests. Medicare’s benefit manual lists even a portable walk-in whirlpool tub as having no equipment benefit category, so there’s no route to coverage under Part B.
For equipment that is covered, you generally pay 20 percent of Medicare’s approved amount after the Part B deductible, and the item has to come from a Medicare-enrolled supplier.
What about grab bars, bath seats and other safety items?
Original Medicare generally doesn’t cover those either. Its national equipment list treats grab bars and bathtub seats as items that aren’t primarily medical.
Raised toilet seats and bathtub lifts are on the same “deny” list. There are narrow exceptions, such as a commode chair for someone confined to their bed or room, so ask your doctor about anything that seems to fit a medical need.
For most families, though, the practical answer is that bathroom safety changes are paid for privately or through one of the other programs below.
Can a Medicare Advantage plan help?
Possibly. Medicare Advantage plans can offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t, and some plans include bathroom safety devices.
Medicare’s own comparison of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage explains that plans may add extra benefits. Federal guidance allows plans to offer bathroom safety devices as one of those extras, but each plan decides what it covers.
Read your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the member services number on your card. Ask whether it covers bathroom safety items, how much it pays, which vendors it uses, and whether it requires an in-home safety assessment first.
What other programs can Louisiana families check?
Veterans, people who qualify for a Louisiana Medicaid waiver and some rural homeowners may have other options.
- VA home improvement grant (HISA). Helps eligible veterans make medically necessary changes at home, including bathroom access such as roll-in showers. Ask your local VA prosthetics office.
- Louisiana Community Choices Waiver. Its services include changes to the home to make it accessible, for people who meet the eligibility rules. Call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 877-456-1146.
- USDA Section 504 Home Repair. Low-cost loans for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, and grants for very-low-income owners 62 or older to remove health and safety hazards.
- Eldercare Locator. A free federal service that connects older adults and families with local help. Call 1-800-677-1116.
Each program sets its own eligibility rules and paperwork, so contact them before you commit to a project.
How should you plan the purchase?
Get the coverage answer in writing first, then plan the tub or shower around the person who’ll use it.
- Ask Medicare, your plan or the program to confirm coverage in writing.
- Ask for an itemized estimate, since programs such as the VA grant ask for one.
- Decide whether a walk-in tub or a walk-in shower suits the person better.
- Keep copies of every letter, estimate and approval.
Our walk-in tubs page shows what we install, and our article on walk-in tub installation and cost considerations covers the planning side. When you’re ready, contact Big Easy Bathrooms or call 504-688-7786 for a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Will Medicare pay for a walk-in tub if my doctor prescribes it?
Not under Original Medicare. A walk-in tub doesn’t meet Medicare’s equipment rules, so a prescription doesn’t create coverage. A Medicare Advantage plan with extra benefits is the place to ask.
Does Medicare cover a walk-in shower instead?
No. Medicare’s covered equipment includes items such as walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds and commode chairs. Remodeling work like a walk-in shower or a tub-to-shower conversion isn’t on that list.
Does Medicaid pay for walk-in tubs in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s Community Choices Waiver includes changes to the home to make it accessible, for people who meet its eligibility rules. Call Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care at 877-456-1146 to ask what it could cover for you.
Can a Medicare Advantage plan cover grab bars?
Some can. Federal rules allow Medicare Advantage plans to offer bathroom safety devices as an extra benefit, but each plan decides. Check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the plan.
Does Big Easy Bathrooms offer free estimates on walk-in tubs?
Yes. Big Easy Bathrooms offers free estimates on bathroom projects, including walk-in tubs, in New Orleans and across the Northshore.
