Program
Medicare Advantage bathroom-safety benefit
Some Medicare Advantage plans cover things like grab bars or a shower seat, but only for certain enrollees.
What it can pay for
- grab bars
- ramps
- wider doors
- handrails
- assistive devices
- Official name
- Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Enrollees (SSBCI) — bathroom-safety and structural home-modification allowances
- Where
- Nationwide
- Status
- Program running
- Most it pays
- $500 per-year
- About the amount
- One reported example: some MA plans give up to $500/yr for assistive and safety devices (2022/2023 data, stale). The actual cap is set by each plan and changes year to year; delivery is by vendor shipment/install, a plan debit card, or reimbursement.
- Housing rules
- No ownership rule in CMS guidance. Structural changes in a rental still need the landlord's OK (common sense, not a CMS rule).
- How long it takes
- Runs with the plan year, Jan 1-Dec 31. Use it or lose it — starting 2027, unused debit-card dollars don't roll over and plans no longer must send a mid-year reminder.
- How to apply
- Choose or switch to a Medicare Advantage plan offering the benefit during Annual Enrollment (Oct 15-Dec 7); then use it per that plan's Evidence of Coverage.
- Does not pay for
- Original Medicare excludes grab bars, ramps, bath seats, and raised toilet seats as 'comfort or convenience' items, and excludes home modifications like wheelchair ramps entirely.
- Official source
- cms.gov
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026