Aging in Place Grants

Does Medicare Pay for Home Modifications?

Updated October 18, 2026 · By the Aging in Place Grants research desk · How we research

Original Medicare pays for medical equipment, not home remodeling, but some Medicare Advantage plans offer safety items or modifications as extra benefits.

At a glance

Key amounts (check the source for the current figure)
Part B deductible (2026)$283 per year
Part B standard premium (2026)$202.90 per month
Your share for covered equipmentGenerally 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible

What it can pay for

  • Original Medicare: medically necessary equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, commode chairs, hospital beds and patient lifts
  • Original Medicare: home health therapy visits, including occupational therapy, if you qualify
  • Some Medicare Advantage plans: grab bars, shower stools, hand-held showers, raised toilet seats, stair rails and portable ramps
  • Some Medicare Advantage plans (for chronically ill members): larger changes such as permanent ramps or wider doorways

Who qualifies

  • Equipment: people with Medicare Part B whose doctor orders the item as medically necessary for use at home
  • Home health: people who are homebound and need part-time skilled care, ordered by a provider after an in-person visit
  • Medicare Advantage safety benefits: members of plans that include them; plans may set criteria such as fall risk
  • Special benefits for the chronically ill: members who meet CMS's three-part test for complex chronic conditions

How to apply

  1. Ask your doctor whether any equipment you need (walker, commode, lift, hospital bed) is medically necessary and can be ordered.
  2. Buy or rent equipment only from a supplier enrolled in Medicare that accepts assignment.
  3. If you are homebound, ask your doctor about home health care. A home health occupational therapist can suggest safety changes.
  4. If you have Medicare Advantage, read your plan's Evidence of Coverage or call member services and ask about 'home and bathroom safety devices' or 'special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill.'
  5. During open enrollment, compare plans with Medicare's Plan Finder and look for these benefits if they matter to you.

Watch out for

  • Original Medicare does not pay contractors to remodel. Do not assume a bathroom or ramp project will be covered.
  • A supplier that does not accept assignment can charge you more than the Medicare-approved amount.
  • Medicare Advantage extras vary by plan and can change every year.
  • Benefits for the chronically ill are not available to every member. Plans must document that you qualify.
  • Be careful with callers who say 'Medicare will pay for your walk-in tub.' Ask your plan directly.

The honest answer

Original Medicare does not pay for remodeling. It will not cover a contractor to build a ramp, widen a door or turn a tub into a walk-in shower.

What Medicare does cover is medical equipment used at home, plus some in-home care. And some Medicare Advantage plans now offer extra benefits that can help with safety items or even larger changes.

This guide sorts out what is covered, what is not, and how to check your own plan.

What Original Medicare covers

Durable medical equipment

Medicare Part B covers "durable medical equipment" when a doctor orders it and it is medically necessary for use in your home 1. Examples on Medicare's list include canes, walkers, wheelchairs and scooters, commode chairs, hospital beds and oxygen equipment 1. Medicare's equipment booklet also lists patient lifts that move you from a bed or wheelchair 2.

These items can make a big difference in daily safety. A bedside commode can prevent nighttime falls. A hospital bed can make getting up easier.

Your cost: After the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026, you generally pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount 5. That is only true if the supplier is enrolled in Medicare and accepts assignment. A supplier that does not accept assignment can charge more 1.

Home health care

If you are homebound and need part-time skilled care, Medicare covers home health services. That includes physical and occupational therapy when you meet the conditions 3. You pay nothing for covered home health services 3.

An occupational therapist visiting your home will often point out fall risks and suggest changes. That advice is valuable, even though Medicare will not pay for the changes themselves.

What Original Medicare leaves out

Medicare's own list of things it does not cover includes non-medical long-term care 6. Home health benefits do not include 24-hour care, homemaker help unrelated to your care plan, or custodial care when that is your only need 3.

Bathroom safety items like grab bars and shower seats are not on Medicare's covered equipment list 1.

What Medicare Advantage plans may cover

Medicare Advantage plans are run by private companies. They must cover what Original Medicare covers, and many add "supplemental benefits." Two kinds matter for home safety.

Home and bathroom safety devices

In 2018, CMS told plans they could offer home and bathroom safety devices as a supplemental benefit 4. CMS examples include:

  • Shower stools and hand-held showers
  • Bathroom and stair rails
  • Grab bars
  • Raised toilet seats
  • Temporary or portable ramps
  • Night lights and stair treads

Plans may also pay for installation and a home safety check by a qualified health professional 4. Plans can set who qualifies, such as members at risk of falls.

Under this benefit, CMS does not allow structural changes. Permanent ramps, wider halls or doorways, and easy-use doorknobs and faucets were all listed as not allowed 4.

Special benefits for the chronically ill

A separate category, called Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI), gives plans more room. In 2019 guidance, CMS said these benefits can include structural home changes, such as wider hallways or doorways, permanent ramps, and easy-use doorknobs and faucets, when they are expected to help the member's health or function 7.

To qualify, a member must meet all three CMS tests 7:

  1. Have one or more serious chronic conditions that are life-threatening or greatly limit health or function
  2. Be at high risk of hospital stays or other bad outcomes
  3. Need intensive care coordination

Only some plans offer SSBCI home changes. Those that do must check and document who qualifies 7.

How to find out what your plan covers

  1. Read your Evidence of Coverage. Search it for "safety," "bathroom," "home modification" and "chronically ill."
  2. Call member services. Ask: "Do you cover home and bathroom safety devices? Is there a dollar limit? Do you cover installation? Do you offer special benefits for the chronically ill that include home modifications?"
  3. Get answers in writing. Ask the plan to send a written summary or point to the page in your plan documents.
  4. Shop during open enrollment. If these benefits matter to you, compare plans each fall. Benefits can change from year to year.

A smart order of steps

Start with your doctor. Ask about equipment that Medicare covers and whether home health is right for you. Let the therapist do a home safety review.

Then check your Medicare Advantage plan, if you have one, for safety benefits.

For bigger projects, look beyond Medicare. Your Area Agency on Aging, state Medicaid waiver programs, USDA repair grants in rural areas, VA grants for Veterans, and local nonprofits are where the real remodeling money usually comes from.

Beware of "Medicare will pay" sales pitches

Some ads and callers claim Medicare will cover a walk-in tub or stair lift. Original Medicare does not cover these. If someone says your plan will pay, call the number on your plan card and confirm it yourself before you sign anything.

Common questions

Does Medicare pay for grab bars?

Original Medicare's covered equipment list centers on medical devices like walkers, commode chairs and hospital beds. Grab bars are not on that list. Some Medicare Advantage plans include grab bars as an extra safety benefit.

Does Medicare pay for a stair lift or walk-in tub?

Original Medicare does not cover these home changes. A Medicare Advantage plan might offer help as a special benefit for chronically ill members, but this is plan by plan. Ask your plan in writing.

Will Medicare Advantage pay for a ramp?

Under CMS guidance, plans can offer temporary or portable ramps as a regular safety benefit. Permanent ramps are only allowed as a special benefit for qualifying chronically ill members.

Can a home health therapist help make my home safer?

If you qualify for Medicare home health, occupational and physical therapy are covered at no cost to you. Therapists commonly advise on safety, but Medicare does not pay for the remodeling itself.

What will I pay for covered equipment in 2026?

After the $283 Part B deductible, you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your supplier accepts assignment.

Sources

  1. Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage — Medicare.gov (CMS). Checked October 18, 2026.
  2. Medicare Coverage of Durable Medical Equipment & Other Devices (Product No. 11045) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 18, 2026.
  3. Home health services coverage — Medicare.gov (CMS). Checked October 18, 2026.
  4. Reinterpretation of 'Primarily Health Related' for Supplemental Benefits (HPMS memo, April 27, 2018) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 18, 2026.
  5. 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 18, 2026.
  6. What's not covered by Original Medicare — Medicare.gov (CMS). Checked October 18, 2026.
  7. Implementing Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Enrollees (HPMS memo, April 24, 2019) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 18, 2026.