Covered by Medicare if the physician's CMN establishes medical necessity due to one of the following reasons:

• The patient's condition requires positioning of the body, e.g., to alleviate pain, prevent contractures, avoid respiratory infections, in ways not feasible in an ordinary bed.
• The patient's condition requires special attachments that cannot be affixed to or used on an ordinary bed.
• A patient who requires the head of the bed to be elevated more than 30 degrees most of the time due to congestive heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease, or problems with aspiration. Pillows or wedges must have been tried and failed.

The CMN must describe the patient's medical condition. If the patient's medical condition requires body positioning, the physician must describe the severity and frequency of the patient's symptoms. If the medical condition requires special bed attachments, the CMN must specify the attachments.

Variable Height Feature - If hospital bed coverage requirements are met and the CMN established the medical necessity for a variable height hospital bed, this variable height feature is covered for the following conditions:

• The patient requires a bed height different than a fixed height bed to permit transfers to chair, wheelchair or standing position.
• Severe arthritis and other injuries to the lower extremities, e.g., fractured hip.
• Severe cardiac patients.
• Spinal cord injuries, including quadriplegic and paraplegic patients, multiple limb amputees and stroke patients.
• Other severely debilitating diseases, if the variable height feature is required to assist the patient in ambulating.

Semi-Electric Beds - Electric powered adjustments to raise and lower the head and foot may be covered if medical necessity is established under the following conditions:

• The patient's condition requires frequent changes in body position and/or the patient may need immediate changes in body position (i.e., no delay can be tolerated), and
• The patient can operate the controls. (Exceptions can be made in cases of spinal cord injury or brain damage.)

Full-Electric Beds - The full electric bed height adjustment feature is not covered; it is a convenience feature. Therefore, a full electric bed is not covered.

Side Rails - If the patient's condition requires side rails, they can be covered as an integral part of, or an accessory to, a hospital bed. Side rails are not covered when used on a bed other than a hospital bed. They are included in the rental of a bed.