Durable Medical Equipment After Hospital in Oregon: Who Orders and Who Pays

Your parent is being discharged tomorrow, and nobody has mentioned how a hospital bed, wheelchair, or oxygen concentrator is getting to the house. You assumed the hospital handled that. They didn't — and if the equipment isn't there when your parent arrives, you're looking at a dangerous first night.

Durable medical equipment (DME) is one of the most overlooked pieces of hospital discharge planning, and in Oregon, the rules for who orders it, who pays, and how fast it arrives vary depending on your parent's insurance.

What DME Covers

DME includes medical equipment prescribed for home use that serves a medical purpose and can withstand repeated use. The most common items after hospital discharge:

• Hospital beds (adjustable head/foot, rails for fall prevention)
• Wheelchairs and transport chairs
• Walkers and rollators
• Oxygen concentrators and supplies
• Patient lifts (Hoyer lifts for transfers)
• Commodes and shower chairs
• CPAP/BiPAP machines
• Wound care supplies (wound vacs, compression stockings)

Medicare Part B Coverage

For parents on Original Medicare, DME is covered under Part B (not Part A). Medicare Part B pays 80% of the approved amount after the annual deductible, and the patient covers the remaining 20% coinsurance. A Medigap supplemental policy may cover the coinsurance.

Key requirements for Medicare DME coverage:

• A physician must write a prescription (Certificate of Medical Necessity) specifying the equipment, the medical diagnosis requiring it, and the expected duration of need
• The DME supplier must be enrolled in Medicare — using a non-enrolled supplier means Medicare won't pay
• Some items require prior authorization (power wheelchairs, certain respiratory equipment)

For rental items like hospital beds and wheelchairs, Medicare typically covers a 13-month rental period, after which ownership transfers to the patient at no additional cost.

OHP and CCO Coverage

For parents on the Oregon Health Plan, DME is covered through their Coordinated Care Organization. The CCO may have preferred DME suppliers in their network — using an out-of-network supplier can result in denied claims.

OHP generally covers DME with no cost-sharing to the member. The CCO care coordinator should initiate DME orders as part of the discharge plan, but families should confirm this explicitly rather than assuming it's happening.

K Plan Home Modifications

Oregon's K Plan (Community First Choice) goes beyond standard DME to cover environmental modifications that help your parent stay safely at home. This includes:

• Grab bars and handrails
• Ramp installation
• Door widening for wheelchair access
• Bathroom modifications (roll-in showers, raised toilet seats)
• Emergency response systems

These modifications are separate from DME and are authorized through the CAPS assessment and Person-Centered Service Plan. They can take weeks to arrange, so request them early.

The Hospital's Obligation

Under federal discharge planning rules, the hospital is legally required to coordinate DME delivery before your parent leaves. This means:

• Identifying what equipment is needed based on the clinical assessment
• Writing the prescriptions and certificates of medical necessity
• Coordinating with a Medicare-approved or CCO-contracted DME supplier
• Ensuring delivery timing aligns with the actual discharge date

If the discharge planner hasn't addressed DME and your parent is scheduled to leave tomorrow, escalate immediately. Ask the charge nurse to document in the medical record that DME coordination is incomplete, and request that discharge be delayed until equipment is confirmed for delivery.

What to Do If Equipment Isn't Ready

If your parent is discharged before DME arrives — which happens more often than it should:

1. Call the DME supplier directly and get a confirmed delivery window. Same-day delivery is sometimes possible for urgent items like hospital beds and oxygen.
2. Rent or buy temporary equipment from a local medical supply store. Oregon has multiple DME retail locations in Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Medford. Keep receipts — you may be able to get reimbursed.
3. Do not attempt unsafe transfers without proper equipment. If your parent needs a patient lift and one isn't available, do not try to lift them manually. Call 911 if they fall or can't be safely moved.

The Hospital-to-Home Oregon toolkit includes a DME checklist matched to common discharge scenarios (hip replacement, stroke, cardiac event) so you know exactly what equipment to request before the discharge planner hands you the paperwork.

See more Oregon guides →