Durable Medical Equipment After Hospital Discharge in Ohio

Getting DME Ordered Before Your Parent Leaves the Hospital

Your parent is being discharged from an Ohio hospital and needs a wheelchair, a walker, a hospital bed at home, or supplemental oxygen. The equipment has to be delivered, set up, and ready before they walk through the front door — not three days later when a supplier finally processes the order.

The hospital discharge planner is responsible for initiating durable medical equipment (DME) orders before discharge. This includes submitting prior authorization requests to Medicare or Medicaid and coordinating delivery with a local DME supplier. But "responsible for initiating" and "guaranteed to finish before discharge" are two different things. Families who don't follow up on DME orders end up bringing a parent home to a house without the equipment they need.

Ask the discharge planner three questions before leaving the hospital: Which items have been ordered? Which supplier is delivering them? What is the confirmed delivery date and time?

How Medicare Covers DME in Ohio

Medicare Part B covers 80% of the approved cost for medically necessary DME. Your parent pays the remaining 20% coinsurance (or their Medigap policy picks it up). To qualify, the equipment must be prescribed by a physician, be medically necessary for use in the home, and be supplied by a Medicare-enrolled DME supplier.

Common equipment covered under Part B after a hospital discharge:

• Wheelchairs and power scooters (requires a face-to-face exam and written prescription)
• Walkers and canes (coverage and rental or purchase terms vary by item)
• Hospital beds (covered when medically necessary — the patient's condition requires specific positioning, traction, or elevation that a regular bed can't provide)
• Oxygen equipment (concentrators, portable units, tubing — confirm coverage and rental terms with the supplier)
• Nebulizers for respiratory therapy
• Patient lifts (Hoyer lifts for patients who cannot transfer independently)
• Low-air-loss mattresses (for pressure ulcer prevention in bed-bound patients)

The critical detail: the DME supplier must participate in Medicare. If your parent receives equipment from a non-participating supplier, Medicare pays nothing and the full cost falls on the family. Before accepting any equipment delivery, verify the supplier's Medicare enrollment status at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

The Prior Authorization Problem

For certain high-cost items — power wheelchairs, complex rehab equipment, some types of hospital beds — Medicare requires prior authorization before the supplier can deliver. The authorization process involves the physician submitting clinical documentation proving medical necessity.

This is where timing breaks down. Prior authorization can extend beyond a 48-hour discharge window. Two options:

1. Rental bridge: ask DME suppliers whether a short-term rental is available while the prior authorization for the permanent equipment processes. Coverage depends on the item and payer.
2. PASSPORT waiver coverage: if your parent qualifies for Ohio's PASSPORT home care waiver, the waiver covers additional specialized equipment and home modifications that Medicare won't — including accessibility ramps, grab bars, and bathroom modifications. The PASSPORT application can run parallel to the Medicare DME order.

What to Do If Equipment Doesn't Arrive

If the confirmed delivery date passes without equipment showing up, escalate immediately. Call the DME supplier first. If they can't resolve it within 24 hours, contact the hospital's patient representative. Ohio law requires a discharge plan and required caregiver training under O.R.C. §§ 3727.75–3727.76; use that channel to document the missing equipment.

For patients still covered under Medicare home health, the visiting nurse can also flag missing DME during the first 48-hour assessment and escalate through clinical channels.

Tracking Everything in One Place

The Hospital-to-Home in Ohio guide includes an Agency Communication Log specifically designed to track DME orders — supplier contacts, authorization status, delivery dates, and insurance approvals — so nothing falls through the cracks during the transition home.

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