When you get older, you need to realize that one of the most dangerous areas for you to be is in the bathroom. This is going to come from the amount of water that is on the floor, but also from the fact that when you take a shower, you can easily slip and fall. What is even worse is some of the showers are going to have a tub ledge, and this may make it difficult for you to get into the tub, to begin with. That is when you may start to look at the different tubs that are on the market and see what looks like a perfect tub, but the question we always see is will medicare pay for a walk in tub? However, then you see the price tag and nearly have to go to the hospital from sticker shock. This is when you may want to ask yourself does Medicare cover the walk-in bathtub.
Medical financing is one option that a senior may want to consider. This type of financing is one that is different than a traditional kind of financing in the fact that this type of financing. What else is nice is these individuals are usually very understanding of the financial position a senior is in and will work with them on the terms and conditions to help them get the tub that they need. To have to be safe while they are getting cleaned up and not having to worry about falling out of the tub or shower.
Another option the senior may have to get the tub would be to consider a different type of traditional type of financing. This could include anything from getting a credit card to pay for the tub to get a home equity line or an unsecured personal loan. All of these are options the senior may have available to them. But unlike the medical financing companies, the may not understand the needs of the senior of the financial issues the senior may have and will have a higher payment plan, but the good news is this means the senior will get the tub paid back faster than they would with other loans.
Being able to be safe when you get in and out of the shower or tub is something that younger people take for granted. However, when you are older, you will find that the bathroom is one of the most dangerous areas for you to go into. That is often because of the level of slip and fall type of hazards just from getting cleaned up. This is when you may want to consider a walk-in bathtub, but you need to realize that Medicare, for all the good, that it does. Does not think a walk-in bathtub as durable medical equipment and will not pay for it.
Does Medicare Pay For Walk-In Tubs
The sad part of this answer is that Medicare typically will not pay for these tubs. This is going to create a major hardship for a lot of seniors as the cost of these tubs is rather large compared to some of the other options they have available to use. Now, the reasons why Medicare does not cover the cost of these tubs is going to vary depending on who you ask, but the short-term answer is no they do not pay for this type of bathtub for the seniors to use and stay safe. So why exactly does Medicare not pay for this tub?Durable Medical Equipment
This is what a bathtub like this would fall under, and for Medicare, they do not classify this tub as a piece of durable medical equipment. SO the people who would need to have this tub to use it will find that it is not covered. However, Medicare does consider some of the other items they would be using as a piece of durable medical equipment that is used in bathing, which is what makes this such an odd problem because the other parts are considered durable.Why Does Medicare Not Cover The Walk-In Tub
As we mentioned they are going to cover only durable medical equipment and this, unfortunately, is not really considered to be a piece of equipment that is needed. That is because this is often considered an item that is meant for comfort more than the care and personal hygiene of the people that are needing it. Since this is the case, you need to realize that they are not going to cover the walk-in tub until someone is able to show that this is a medical necessity.What They May Cover
One of the items that they may consider as a durable piece of medical equipment would be the shower stool. This could be an option for the senior if they are able to get into the shower, but at the same time, this is not going to help the seniors who are having issues getting into the shower, to begin with. So this does not really offer the solution that people are going to look for. However, even this may not be covered as it is often considered an item of personal comfort. The good news is if you are able to get a doctor to document the fall risk and potential harm that can come to the senior in the shower they may end up paying for the shower seat, so the senior is able to get cleaned up without getting injured in the process.What Options Are Available
This is the bad news is that the seniors are often going to be left on their own when it comes to the purchase of the tub. This will be something that the senior may not want to have to deal with but often is forced to deal with because of the way that Medicare will not pay for the walk-in bathtub. So what solution will be the best one for the senior to consider when they need to get these tubs, but Medicare refuses to help pay for any of the cost that would cover the tub?Medical financing is one option that a senior may want to consider. This type of financing is one that is different than a traditional kind of financing in the fact that this type of financing. What else is nice is these individuals are usually very understanding of the financial position a senior is in and will work with them on the terms and conditions to help them get the tub that they need. To have to be safe while they are getting cleaned up and not having to worry about falling out of the tub or shower.
Another option the senior may have to get the tub would be to consider a different type of traditional type of financing. This could include anything from getting a credit card to pay for the tub to get a home equity line or an unsecured personal loan. All of these are options the senior may have available to them. But unlike the medical financing companies, the may not understand the needs of the senior of the financial issues the senior may have and will have a higher payment plan, but the good news is this means the senior will get the tub paid back faster than they would with other loans.
Being able to be safe when you get in and out of the shower or tub is something that younger people take for granted. However, when you are older, you will find that the bathroom is one of the most dangerous areas for you to go into. That is often because of the level of slip and fall type of hazards just from getting cleaned up. This is when you may want to consider a walk-in bathtub, but you need to realize that Medicare, for all the good, that it does. Does not think a walk-in bathtub as durable medical equipment and will not pay for it.