Incontinence supplies covered by insurance?

starling

Hello,

 My mother resides in memory care in an assisted living facility.  The facility offers an Incontinence supplies package but the prices are very marked up. We provide them with supplies that we order from amazon.

The costs really add up, does anyone know if incontinence supplies are covered by insurance for those who have dementia? Are incontinence supplies  tax deductible?

 Thanks

zauberflote

Hi Starling-- my mother's (and MIL's) supplies were covered by Medicare only when they were on hospice. I don't know any other info.

Cynbar

If she has Medicaid, then incontinence supplies should be paid for with a doctor's order. If she does not have Medicaid, then they aren't covered. Even on hospice, they are not always covered ----- hospice is paid a daily rate per patient and each company decides what they will and will not cover. Some do, some don't.

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BassetHoundAnn

My mom has a Medicare Advantage plan through UnitedHealthCare/AARP. Every quarter one can order $60 of medical supplies from their catalog. The supplies are shipped free. The catalog includes lots of incontinence supplies from bed protectors to pads to Depends and Depends-like products. Granted $60 is not going to go far, but it helps. I just got a big box full of pads. It was shipped from Walmart. 

I suggest checking your mom's Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplement plan, depending upon what plan she has, and see if they offer anything. 

kastellan

I hear you on this one Starling, the costs add up sooo quickly and the more they decline the more supplies you’ll go through so it is a lot to manage without financial help. I was in your same boat: then we put our LO on in-home Hospice care (paid 100% through her Medicare insurance) and they bring all the supplies I could ever need, and they also provide wipes, no rinse bathing supplies for bed baths, chuck pads for additional urine protection, etc. I don’t know what I would do without the support of hospice. I don’t know how I managed this on my own before them. Most states have a hospice program at no cost and you can utilize it even with your LO in a facility: if your LO has Medicare or Medicaid. All I needed to get started with it was a referral from the neurologist (or any dr referral). I’m in Colorado so it might vary state to state and what your state might offer could be different but look into it!! Good luck!!!

Cynbar

Many hospice programs provide incontinence supplies, but some do not. Ours doesn't. If this is important to you, interview more than one hospice, almost every community has several options. But if they are supplying this, there is probably something else that they are not as generous with (although that may not be as important in your case.) Some are more generous with how many medications they cover, for instance.  The point is, shop around and choose the program that works best for you. And you do have the option of switching companies if you think another one will better meet your needs.

feudman

Cynbar, thanks for mentioning the United Heathcare Advantage plan program. They had this last year, but never elaborated on it. Im sure many policy holders didn't know how to use it. Just days ago I received a catalogue listing all the supplies you can order. Briefs are $50. for an 80ct. pack & free shipping. Just wondering if you have tried them (not familiar with the brand)?

As for Hospice policy regarding supplies, you are correct that some do & some don't supply them (sure wish mine did), but I've yet to see an explanation for this. In some cases the supplies were donated, or purchased with donations.

feudman

Ann, thanks for mentioning the United Heathcare Advantage plan program. They had this last year, but never elaborated on it. Im sure many policy holders didn't know how to use it. Just days ago I received a catalogue listing all the supplies you can order. Briefs are $50. for an 80ct. pack & free shipping. Just wondering if you have tried them (not familiar with the brand)?

As for Hospice policy regarding supplies, you are correct that some do & some don't supply them (sure wish mine did), but I've yet to see an explanation for this. In some cases the supplies were donated, or purchased with donations.

BassetHoundAnn

Feudman, I haven't tried the briefs. If you try them tell me if they're any good. 

Last year when I took over mom's medical I was so overwhelmed I tossed out some of the UnitedHealthCare mail as junkmail. Didn't realize I could get free stuff for mom until last month. I'm sure many are in the same boot. She appears to like the pads. There are so many good things one can get for free (shower chairs, bathroom chairs, all sorts of incontinence products, etc.) it's certainly worth checking out. 

King Boo

Tred very carefully with Medicare Advantage plans.

  Look at the deep levels of coverage. 

Some limit what hospitals you can go to, or have very high copays for an out of network tier hospital, specialist, etc.  

 All their advertising hits on appealing things like free this and that (typically incontinence, hearing aids, eyeglasses) but these are very limited sometimes - restricted to third parties that are a lower tier health care provider, limited models, high copays - if overall medical access is lowered (you have to get a referral to see a specialist like a geriatric psychiatrist, a situation many of us run into - and many PCP's resist this)   it ends up being a penny wise pound foolish situation.