Does Medicare Pay for Blood Pressure Monitors at Home?

Medicare will cover you if you have abnormal blood pressure and your doctor prescribes a blood pressure monitor for home use.

Does Medicare Cover Blood Pressure Monitors?

This article will examine when and how Medicare covers in-home blood pressure monitoring equipment.

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Blood pressure monitors are useful devices to have if you are experiencing symptoms of abnormal blood pressure.
Blood pressure that is either too low or too high can cause various health conditions, so it is good to have a monitor to check your condition.
Medicare will only cover blood pressure monitors for dialysis patients and people with white coat hypertension.
Medicare Advantage will cover blood pressure devices under the same conditions as Original Medicare, but the out-of-pocket cost may differ.
An average blood pressure monitor will cost between $40 to $100 without Medicare coverage.
Most pharmacies have a free seated blood pressure monitor, but the accuracy can vary between monitors.

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Why Would I Need a Blood Pressure Monitor?

You may need a blood pressure monitor for at-home use if you are regularly experiencing symptoms of abnormally low (hypotension) or high (hypertension) blood pressure. Using a monitor can help you make blood pressure measurements and if it is being affected by your condition and/or lifestyle.

Low Blood Pressure

Outside of a blood pressure monitor, signs of low blood pressure can include:[mfn referencenumber=1]Mayoclinic.org, “Low blood pressure (hypotension)“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Dizziness
Fainting
Blurred vision
Nausea
Exhaustion
Inability to focus

High Blood Pressure

Symptoms of high blood pressure are more difficult to detect without a monitor, often only showing subtle early symptoms such as:[mfn referencenumber=2]Mayoclinic.org, “High blood pressure (hypertension)“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Headaches
Shortness of breath
Nosebleeds

If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to serious health conditions, including:[mfn referencenumber=2]Mayoclinic.org, “High blood pressure (hypertension)“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Heart attacks/heart disease
Stroke
Aneurysm
Heart failure
Kidney disease (End-Stage Renal Disease)
Damaged blood vessels in the eyes
Metabolic syndrome
Difficulty with memory or understanding
Dementia

How Much Does a Blood Pressure Monitor Cost?

Typical blood pressure monitors cost around $40 to $100 without Medicare coverage and can be bought at most local pharmacies. Lower-end blood pressure monitors are typically worn on the fingers or wrist, while higher-end blood pressure cuffs are fitted around your upper arm.[mfn referencenumber=8]Consumerreport.org, “Blood Pressure Monitor Buying Guide“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Public blood pressure machines are available at most pharmacies at no cost. However, some of these machines can produce inaccurate readings if the cuff is not adjustable and/or if they are not made to the standard of medical-grade monitors.[mfn referencenumber=9]Mayoclinic.org, “How accurate are the blood pressure machines in grocery stores and drugstores?“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

When Does Medicare Cover Blood Pressure Monitors?

Blood pressure monitors for use at home are not generally covered by Medicare. However, there are two exceptions:

A blood pressure monitor for a patient receiving blood dialysis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis) in the home; and[mfn referencenumber=3]Medicare.gov, “Dialysis services & supplies“, Accessed December 22, 2021[/mfn]
An ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device, which takes and stores blood pressure readings in 24-hour cycles, for a patient who, a physician believes, has white coat hypertension (artificially high blood pressure readings when taken in a doctor’s office) based on repeated in-office and out-of-office testing.[mfn referencenumber=4]CMS.gov, “CMS Expands Coverage of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM)“, Accessed December 22, 2021[/mfn]

When approved, Medicare Part B covers the cost of renting the blood pressure monitoring device. The device must be rented through a Medicare-certified medical equipment supplier.[mfn referencenumber=5]Medicare.gov, “Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, are required to provide coverage for the same services and supplies as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B ). While this means that Medicare Advantage plans will cover blood pressure monitors, they will only cover them under the same conditions as Orginal Medicare, as listed above.[mfn referencenumber=6]Medicare.gov, “How do Medicare Advantage Plans work?“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]

Medicare Advantage members will also be required to receive these services and supplies from providers within their plan’s network. Your out-of-pocket costs with Medicare Advantage can also differ from Original Medicare’s out-of-pocket costs for the same service.[mfn referencenumber=6]Medicare.gov, “How do Medicare Advantage Plans work?“, Accessed December 3, 2021[/mfn]