Medicare adds wheelchairs, braces and an air bed to its prior approval list
Medicare suppliers need prior approval to deliver eight more items, including an air-fluidized bed, an ultralightweight wheelchair and knee and back braces; 22 more need a face-to-face visit and written order first. Elbow and wrist brace approval starts in four states, then expands.
Who it affects
Medicare medical equipment suppliers and the patients they serve
When
This rule takes effect on October 28, 2026.
- : Published in the Federal Register
- : This rule takes effect
- : Elbow and wrist brace prior approval expands to eight more states
- : Elbow and wrist brace prior approval applies in every state
Official text
FR Doc. 2026-15446: Medicare Program; Updates to the Master List of Items Potentially Subject to Face-to-Face Encounter and Written Order Prior to Delivery and/or Prior Authorization Requirements; Updates to the Required Face-to-Face Encounter and Written Order Prior to Delivery List; and Updates to the Required Prior Authorization List
On Federal Register. The official text is what counts; read it before you act.
Not legal advice. Plain-English summaries to help you find what changes and when. Not legal advice: read the official text, and ask a lawyer about your situation.