When Disaster Strikes: Help for Patients Who Rely on Durable Medical Equipment

When durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) are lost, destroyed, or damaged to the extent that they can’t be used anymore due to an emergency, Medicare

will pay for the replacement DMEPOS that a Medicare beneficiary owns or purchased. Examples of DMEPOS include: home oxygen equipment, diabetes testing supplies, wheelchairs, canes, walkers, artificial limbs, braces, and enteral nutrients and supplies. The link below can help you guide medically vulnerable patients should an emergency cause them to lose use of DMEPOS.

https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/Downloads/Emergency-DME-Beneficiaries-Hurricanes.pdf