Ensure is a nutritionary supplement manufacture by Abbott . Ensure shake admit various vitamins , minerals , and macronutrients plan to put up people ’s nutritionary needs . Healthcare professionals may also recommend them in case where a person can not consume solid intellectual nourishment .
Original Medicare does not typically underwrite nutritional supplement , such as Ensure . However , a person with a Medicare Advantage ( Part C ) program may receive over - the - counter ( OTC ) benefits . If so , they may be able to use their OTC welfare to buy Ensure .
Supplement coverage under Medicare
OTC nutritionary supplements , such as Ensure , do not undergo the sameFood and Drug Administration ( FDA)approval outgrowth as medicine . Supplement manufacturers may make health claims that stringent testing and clinical visitation do not support .
Medicare does not admit appurtenance in its coverage except in sure medically necessary condition .
Medicare Part Amay handle nutritional supplements for a person receiving them during an inpatient infirmary halt or while in a skilled nursing facility .
Medicare Part Bmay cover vitamin administration in specific guinea pig , such as administering vitamin D to treatosteoporosis .
If a MD considers a supplement a medically necessary part of a individual ’s treatment , Medicare Part Dmay cover it if the plan ’s pharmacopeia includes it .
These scenario are not common and do not typically relate to the use of Ensure .
Buying Ensure with OTC benefits
Medicare Advantageis an alternate toOriginal Medicare . Medicare - okay third - company insurance companies tender these architectural plan , which include benefits beyond those of Original Medicare .
Many Medicare Advantage plans let in OTC benefits . While the specifics vary among plans , generally , a person can have a Medicare OTC circuit board to practice online or in a depot to purchase approved items from participating retailers . The plan can add funds to the OTC write up in predetermine intervals .
While product lists vary , Ensure — and other similar nutritional trill — may be among those useable with an OTC card . Ensure is presently available for leverage using OTC benefit atWalgreens .
To get a line whether a Medicare Advantage programme may have OTC benefit that cover Ensure , contact a plan example or check the Evidence of Coverage ( EOC ) documentation .
