What Qualifies Me for a Hospital Bed?

If you’re recovering from an illness or injury, you may benefit from using a hospital bed instead of your regular bed. Adjustable hospital beds can reduce strain on your body as you heal, with electronic movement to help you go from prone to sitting up and back again. And, protective guard rails can keep people in danger of falling out of bed safe.

There are a lot of advantages to having a hospital bed for your home recovery use, but for many people, the costs may look out of reach. When you’re ready, All-Star Medical has durable medical equipment, including a wide selection of hospital beds you need to aid your recovery or boost your ability to complete more tasks of daily living independently.

Insurance Eligibility for a Hospital Bed – What You Need to Know

At All Star Medical, we’re often asked whether insurance will cover a hospital bed. The answer is it depends. While we do not work with insurance companies, we have helped many people understand the correct questions to ask their insurance to get the answers they need. Over the last several years, insurance eligibility requirements have become more stringent, meaning that not everyone may be covered for a bed. However, you may make getting approved for a hospital bed easier by asking your insurance carrier the right questions. Instead of asking your carrier, “do you cover hospital beds?” ask instead, “what kind of medical conditions qualify for hospital bed coverage?

Simply because your physician prescribes a hospital bed doesn’t mean that your insurance will cover it. Although many insurance companies follow Medicare guidelines, you may need to be more specific about your diagnosis to qualify for coverage.

What Will Insurance Cover?

Nearly all insurance companies and plans only cover a semi-electric bed, which will raise and lower the head and feet areas but not raise and lower the height of the bed. A fully electric bed however is not covered by insurance. These beds raise and lower the head and feet and also have electric height management, which can make it much easier for users to transfer from wheelchair to bed, or for shorter people or those with a limited range of motion to get into and out of bed more easily. Most hospital beds are 80×36 in. and require twin-long sheets. You can get fully electric beds in different sizes like Full, Queen or even a Split King.

What are the Medical Guidelines About Hospital Beds?

Standard hospital beds, both semi-electric and fully electric, have a weight limit for safety. All-Star Medical does have a selection of bariatric beds, which have a higher weight capacity and are stronger for occupant safety. These may safely hold a person weighing between 350 and 650 pounds. Some insurance companies may cover a bariatric bed, although you must weigh over 350 pounds to qualify.

You can find information about the medical conditions qualifying you for an insurance-covered hospital bed on the Medicare official website. As per the website, a fixed hospital bed may be provided as long as one or more of the following criteria are met:

• The insured has a medical condition that requires their body to be positioned in a manner not feasible in an ordinary bed
• The insured requires their body to be positioned in ways that an ordinary bed cannot to alleviate pain
• The insured requires their head to be elevated more than 30 degrees most of the time due to congestive heart failure, potential problems with aspiration, or chronic pulmonary disease
• The insured requires traction equipment that can only be attached to a hospital bed

Do You Need a Hospital Bed from All Star Medical?

Though All Star Medical does not bill insurance, it doesn’t mean we can’t get you the bed you need. Do you still have questions on insurance or different types of beds? Watch our video covering these topics and more here. If you can’t purchase your own hospital bed, or if your insurance doesn’t cover the bed you need, you still may be able to get the bed you need. There are financing options through PayPal, Pay Tomorrow or Care Credit and we also offer hospital beds for rent – check out our online rental selection! Contact us today to learn more or to order your new hospital bed. 615-730-9438