Durable Medical Equipment Oklahoma After Hospital

Your parent is being discharged from the hospital and needs a hospital bed at home, a wheelchair for mobility, and an oxygen concentrator. The hospital says these items need to arrive before discharge day — but nobody has explained who pays, who orders, or how long delivery takes. In Oklahoma, the answer depends on insurance coverage and whether you know about the state's free equipment reuse program.

Medicare Coverage for Durable Medical Equipment

Medicare Part B covers medically necessary DME when three conditions are met: the patient's physician has prescribed the equipment, the item is supplied by a Medicare-enrolled supplier, and the equipment is intended for use in the patient's home. Common covered items include hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen equipment, CPAP machines, and patient lifts.

The physician must provide a Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) for most DME. Without this documentation, the supplier will not process the order and Medicare will not pay.

Under Part B, the patient pays 20% coinsurance after meeting the annual deductible. If Medicare's approved amount for a hospital bed were $1,200, the patient's share would be approximately $240. Supplemental insurance (Medigap) policies may cover the coinsurance.

Timing matters. Delivery timing varies by item and supplier, so start the order as soon as the discharge plan identifies a need. Ask the hospital and supplier for a confirmed delivery date; if you wait until discharge day, your parent may come home without the equipment.

The Oklahoma Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program (OKDMERP)

Oklahoma runs one of the better DME reuse programs in the country. The Oklahoma Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program (OKDMERP), operated by Oklahoma ABLE Tech in partnership with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), collects, sanitizes, refurbishes, and redistributes gently used medical equipment to Oklahoma residents at no cost.

How it works:

• Equipment is collected from Oklahomans who no longer need it, sanitized and repaired to full working condition, and made available to new users.
• Equipment is reserved for SoonerCare members for the first 60 days after a piece of equipment becomes available.
• After the 60-day window, any Oklahoma resident can access the program regardless of income.

Contact OKDMERP at 1-833-431-9706 to check current inventory and submit a request. The program covers a wide range of equipment:

• Hospital beds
• Wheelchairs (manual and power)
• Patient lifts
• CPAP machines
• Gait trainers and standing systems
• Shower chairs and bath benches
• Walkers and rollators
• Canes and crutches

Prescription Requirements

Not all equipment through OKDMERP can be obtained without documentation:

• No prescription needed: shower chairs, bath benches, canes, crutches, and basic mobility aids.
• Prescription required: hospital beds, wheelchairs (manual and power), patient lifts, CPAPs, and gait trainers. The prescription must come from a licensed physician and specify the medical condition and the equipment needed.
• Evaluation report required: power wheelchairs and specialized standing systems require a formal evaluation from an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP), Occupational Therapist, or Physical Therapist before OKDMERP will assign the equipment.

If your parent is still in the hospital, ask their physician for the documentation required for the specific item. For most DME, Medicare requires a Certificate of Medical Necessity, while OKDMERP requires a valid physician's prescription for covered devices.

SoonerCare DME Coverage

For patients on Oklahoma Medicaid (SoonerCare), confirm coverage and any documentation or authorization requirements for the specific item with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority or the discharge planner. The rules can differ from Medicare.

If your parent is transitioning from a hospital stay to home care under SoonerCare, ask the discharge planner to confirm the item, required documentation, and expected delivery timing while the patient is still admitted.

For patients enrolled in both Medicare and SoonerCare (dual-eligible), ask the discharge planner and suppliers how the two coverages will coordinate for that item.

When Equipment Does Not Arrive in Time

If essential equipment has not been delivered by discharge day, you have two options:

Request a delayed discharge. If the home is not safe without the equipment — for example, a patient on supplemental oxygen cannot go home without an oxygen concentrator — you can request that the discharge be delayed until a safe arrangement is confirmed. The CARE Act requires caregiver consultation and aftercare training, but it does not itself guarantee a delayed discharge.

Rent temporarily. Some DME suppliers offer short-term rental equipment. This is typically more expensive than going through Medicare or OKDMERP, but it bridges the gap until the prescribed equipment arrives.

Our Oklahoma hospital discharge guide includes a DME coordination checklist, supplier contact information, and a pre-discharge equipment order form designed to prevent the delivery delays that force unsafe discharges.

See more Oklahoma guides →