Original Medicare does not cover shower chairs. Despite being durable and medically useful, shower chairs fail to meet one of Medicare’s key requirements for covered equipment: they are not “typically only useful to someone who is sick or injured.” Because healthy people also use shower chairs for convenience and comfort, Medicare classifies them as a personal comfort item rather than durable medical equipment (DME).
That said, there are several realistic ways to get help paying for one, depending on your coverage and financial situation.
Why Medicare Excludes Shower Chairs
For an item to qualify as DME under Medicare Part B, it must meet all five criteria. It needs to be durable enough for repeated use, serve a medical purpose, be primarily useful only to someone who is sick or injured, be used in the home, and be expected to last at least three years. Shower chairs check most of those boxes, but they stumble on the third one. Medicare’s position is that shower chairs and bath benches have general use beyond medical necessity, which disqualifies them from reimbursement the same way grab bars and raised toilet seats are excluded.
The billing codes for bath and toilet aids (E0240 through E0248) do exist in the Medicare system, but their presence doesn’t guarantee payment. The official jurisdiction list from CMS notes that some listed codes “are not payable by Medicare” and directs providers to check with their regional contractor for coverage status.
Medicare Advantage Plans Sometimes Help
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are required to cover everything Original Medicare covers, but many go further with supplemental benefits. About 10 percent of regular Advantage plans and 14 percent of special needs plans cover bathroom safety devices like shower chairs, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.
Some of these plans offer a yearly allowance of up to $500 for assistive and safety devices, which can include shower stools, handrails, and temporary wheelchair ramps. This money is often distributed through flex cards, which are prepaid debit cards you can use at approved retailers. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, check your plan’s supplemental benefits summary or call the member services number on your card to find out if bathroom safety equipment is included. If you’re choosing a plan during open enrollment, this is worth comparing.
Medicaid May Cover the Cost
If you qualify for Medicaid (either on its own or as a dual-eligible beneficiary with both Medicare and Medicaid), your state program may reimburse bath safety equipment. Coverage varies significantly by state. South Carolina, for example, began reimbursing bath safety equipment as a standard DME benefit through its Medicaid program in October 2023, after previously handling it through waiver case managers. Other states offer similar coverage through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, which are designed to help people stay safely in their homes rather than moving to a nursing facility.
Contact your state Medicaid office to ask specifically about bath safety equipment. The answer will depend on where you live, your eligibility category, and whether your state covers these items under its standard benefit or through a waiver program.
VA Benefits for Veterans
Veterans enrolled in VA health care may be able to get a shower chair through the VA’s prosthetics and sensory aids program. The VA also runs a Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant that covers medically necessary modifications like roll-in showers. However, the HISA program explicitly excludes “removable equipment or appliances,” and a shower chair typically falls into that category. For a standalone shower chair, your VA primary care provider can write a prescription through the standard DME process rather than the HISA grant.
Using an HSA or FSA
Shower chairs are eligible purchases under both Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). This means you can buy one with pre-tax dollars, effectively saving you whatever your marginal tax rate is on the purchase price. You don’t necessarily need a letter of medical necessity for a basic shower chair purchase through these accounts, though requirements can vary by plan administrator. Retailers that specialize in FSA-eligible products sell shower chairs and clearly mark them as qualifying items.
What Shower Chairs Actually Cost
The good news is that most shower chairs are relatively affordable, even without insurance coverage. A basic shower stool with adjustable height runs around $40 to $50. Bath benches with armrests fall in a similar range, typically $42 to $50. If you need a heavier-duty option, bariatric shower chairs with reinforced frames cost roughly $90 to $100.
Prices climb significantly for specialized equipment. A dual-purpose sliding transfer bench, designed for people who cannot step over a tub wall, can cost $1,400 to $1,500. For most people, though, a standard shower chair or bench in the $40 to $100 range will do the job. These are widely available at medical supply stores, pharmacies, and major online retailers.
How to Maximize Your Options
If you’re on Original Medicare and don’t qualify for Medicaid or VA benefits, your most practical path is buying a shower chair out of pocket (using HSA or FSA funds if available). At $40 to $100 for most models, it’s one of the more affordable pieces of safety equipment you might need.
If you’re considering switching to a Medicare Advantage plan during the next enrollment period, look specifically at plans that list bathroom safety devices or home safety allowances in their supplemental benefits. These benefits vary widely between plans, even within the same zip code, so comparing the Summary of Benefits documents is worth the effort. A plan with a $500 annual safety allowance could cover not just a shower chair but also grab bars and other modifications that make your bathroom safer.