What are Home Modifications?
Home Modifications are modifications done to the home to improve patient safety. These modifications can be as small as adding Grab Bars, Ramps, & Bath Lifts to the more complex modifications such as Vertical Patient Lifts (VPL), Walk in Bathtubs, & Stair Lift installations.
Some medical equipment, also known as “durable medical equipment” (DME), is covered by Medicare Part B. What Medicare Part B does not pay for is construction or installation of permanent changes to the actual physical structure of property. What this means is that certain medical equipment are covered by Medicare but home modifications are not.
Important: Regardless of the rules regarding any particular type of care, in order for Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, or a Medicare Part C plan to provide coverage, the care must meet two basic requirements:
- The care must be “medically necessary.” This means that it must be ordered or prescribed by a licensed physician or other authorized medical provider, and that Medicare (or a Medicare Part C plan) agrees that the care is necessary and proper.
- The care must be performed or delivered by a healthcare provider who participates in Medicare.