| If you live permanently in… | And travel to… | You may go to… |
|---|---|---|
| An area participating in the program | An area participating in the program | A Medicare contract supplier for the area you traveled to for off-the-shelf back or knee braces.* Find a Medicare contract supplier in the area where you're traveling. |
| An area participating in the program | An area not participating in the program | Any Medicare-approved supplier |
| An area not participating in the program | An area participating in the program | A Medicare contract supplier for the area you traveled to for off-the-shelf back or knee braces.* Find a Medicare contract supplier in the area where you're traveling. |
* If you don't use a Medicare contract supplier, the supplier may ask you to sign an Advance Beneficiary Notice. This notice says Medicare probably won't pay for the item or service. The supplier will probably require you to pay for the full cost of the item.
What you pay for competitively bid items when traveling to a participating area
Your out-of-pocket costs will be the same as when you're at your permanent home. You'll still be responsible for paying the 20%
after meeting your yearly Part B deductible.
The Medicare contract supplier can't charge you more than the 20% coinsurance and any unmet yearly
for any equipment or supplies included in the Competitive Bidding Program. If you suspect you’re paying more coinsurance than the Medicare-approved amount, we strongly encourage you to take one of these actions:
- Call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048.
- Report fraud using the HHS Office of Inspector General's online form.