Does Medicare Cover A Walking Exoskeleton?
Medicare has paid for at least one personal walking exoskeleton. Lifeward says Noridian Healthcare Solutions, a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), paid its first fee-for-service claim for the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton for an eligible Medicare beneficiary with spinal cord injury. Lifeward announced the payment in early 2024, though sources disagree on the exact day it was made public. Ekso Bionics states on its homepage that Medicare "may cover" an exoskeleton when it is considered reasonable and necessary based on the patient's condition and documentation. Neither Lifeward nor Ekso publishes the Medicare payment amount or any further eligibility criteria at the time of writing.
How CMS Classifies Powered Exoskeletons
CMS classifies powered exoskeletons that support a patient's weak arms or legs as braces, under a final rule effective January 1, 2024. That description comes from Noridian's coding article, which reports the rule. The rule names devices that support weak legs as well as weak arms. Noridian's article is about arm devices. It is titled "Powered Upper Extremity Exoskeleton - Correct Coding" and describes L8701 as a custom fabricated single or double upright myoelectric elbow, wrist, and hand device, with L8702 as the same device with finger. For dates of service on or after June 1, 2024, those two codes may only be billed for products that completed code verification and appear on the Product Classification List. Noridian's article replaced an earlier MyoPro coding article that was retired on December 28, 2023. The article does not give a Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code for lower-limb exoskeletons, and neither the Lifeward nor the Ekso homepage publishes one at the time of writing.
What Makers Publish About Exoskeleton Cost
Neither Lifeward nor Ekso Bionics publishes a price for any exoskeleton at the time of writing. Lifeward's homepage lists the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton under Spinal Cord Injury and offers a "Contact Lifeward to Learn More" link. Ekso's homepage lists no prices and links to a shop and to a request-information form. With no published price, the cost of a ReWalk Personal, an Indego Personal or an EksoNR has to come from the maker. Request a figure through Lifeward's contact link or Ekso's request-information form, and ask the insurer or Medicare plan what share it would pay. The amount Medicare paid on the first ReWalk Personal claim is not published either.
The Ekso Bionics homepage also announces that Wandercraft has acquired Ekso Bionics. That announcement sits on the same page as the shop link, the request form and the product listings for the Indego Personal and EksoNR. Name the exact model in any request to Ekso, since one site carries both the personal and the clinical device.
Personal Versus Clinic Exoskeleton Devices
Lifeward and Ekso list personal and clinical exoskeletons between them. Lifeward's homepage lists the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton under Spinal Cord Injury, the condition named in the first Medicare claim Lifeward announced. Ekso says the Indego Personal is for home and community use by people with spinal cord injury at levels T3 to L5. EksoNR is Ekso's clinical exoskeleton, with listed indications of acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury and stroke. Ekso's claims for EksoNR concern clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ekso says EksoNR is "the only FDA cleared exoskeleton for brain injury and MS" and the first cleared for both stroke and spinal cord injury. Ekso calls the Indego Personal "the lightest weight exoskeleton available", a company claim published without supporting data. The Ekso page does not state an FDA clearance for the Indego Personal. Lifeward lists the ReWalk Personal and Ekso lists the Indego Personal for spinal cord injury, while Ekso lists EksoNR as a clinical exoskeleton.
| Device | Maker | Stated use | Payment or coverage published | Price published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton | Lifeward | Listed under Spinal Cord Injury | First Medicare fee-for-service claim paid by Noridian (Lifeward, early 2024); Aetna coverage headline | No, at the time of writing |
| ReWalk 7 Personal Exoskeleton | Lifeward | Named in a Medicare Advantage payment headline | First commercial Medicare Advantage plan payment (headline only) | No, at the time of writing |
| Indego Personal | Ekso Bionics | Home and community use, spinal cord injury at levels T3 to L5 | Not stated | No, at the time of writing |
| EksoNR | Ekso Bionics | Clinical use: acquired brain injury, MS, spinal cord injury, stroke | Not stated | No, at the time of writing |
Medicare Advantage Coverage from Private Insurers
Lifeward reports private-plan coverage for the ReWalk in homepage headlines only. One headline says the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton is "Now Covered by Aetna", and another says a first commercial Medicare Advantage plan provides payment for the ReWalk 7 Personal Exoskeleton. Neither headline carries a plan name, coverage conditions or a payment amount at the time of writing.
The headlines leave open which Aetna plans apply, which Medicare Advantage plan made the payment, and what a member has to show. A plan member asking about coverage can name the exact model: the Aetna headline names the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, and the Medicare Advantage headline names the ReWalk 7 Personal Exoskeleton. Lifeward's homepage routes further questions through its "Contact Lifeward to Learn More" link.
What to Ask Before You Apply
Five questions follow from the gaps in what Lifeward, Ekso and Noridian publish. Put the device and price questions to Lifeward or Ekso through their contact and request pages, and put the coverage questions to Medicare or the insurer handling the claim. Ekso's coverage statement links Medicare payment to the patient's condition and documentation, so the clinician's records belong in the same conversation.
We have not tested or ordered any product on this page; every product fact comes from the sources listed. The price question applies to the ReWalk Personal, Indego Personal and EksoNR alike, because none has a published price. For more medical exoskeletons, see our guide to exoskeletons and robotic beds or our medical robots hub, and for exoskeletons outside medicine see our page on industrial exoskeleton robots.
- What is the price of the exact model: ReWalk Personal, ReWalk 7 Personal, Indego Personal or EksoNR?
- Which HCPCS code will be billed for a lower-limb exoskeleton?
- Does the device appear on the Product Classification List for the codes being billed?
- What documentation of the patient's condition will show the device is reasonable and necessary?
- For Aetna or Medicare Advantage members, which plan and which conditions apply to the ReWalk coverage headlines?
Bottom Line
Medicare has paid for a walking exoskeleton: Lifeward says Noridian paid its first fee-for-service ReWalk Personal claim in early 2024, and powered exoskeletons count as braces from January 1, 2024. Anyone who wants a price before contacting a maker should not expect one from Lifeward or Ekso, since neither publishes it at the time of writing. The next step is a quote request to the maker and a coverage question to Medicare or the insurer. Eligibility for any exoskeleton is decided by the payer and a clinician.
See our guide to exoskeletons and robotic beds for the wider set of medical exoskeletons covered on The Bot Scout.
FAQs
How much does a medical exoskeleton cost?
No price is published for the exoskeletons covered here at the time of writing. Lifeward lists no price for the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, and Ekso lists none for the Indego Personal or EksoNR. Lifeward's homepage offers a contact link and Ekso's homepage offers a shop link and a request-information form, so a price has to come from the maker as a quote.
Will Medicare pay for an exoskeleton?
Medicare has paid for one. Lifeward says Noridian Healthcare Solutions, a Medicare Administrative Contractor, paid its first fee-for-service claim for the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton in early 2024 for an eligible beneficiary with spinal cord injury. Ekso says Medicare "may cover" an exoskeleton when it is reasonable and necessary based on the patient's condition and documentation. The payment amount is not published.
Are exoskeletons covered for paraplegics?
Medicare has paid a claim for at least one person with spinal cord injury. Lifeward says its first Medicare fee-for-service claim for the ReWalk Personal was for an eligible beneficiary with spinal cord injury. Ekso offers the Indego Personal for spinal cord injury at levels T3 to L5. Eligibility criteria beyond these statements are not published by either maker.
Is an exoskeleton classified as a brace?
Yes, powered exoskeletons that support a patient's weak arms or legs are classified as braces. Per Noridian's coverage of a CMS final rule effective January 1, 2024, powered exoskeleton devices that support a patient's weak arms or legs count as braces. Noridian's coding article on the subject covers the upper-limb codes L8701 and L8702, and no lower-limb HCPCS code is published there.
Where can I find the price of a ReWalk or Ekso?
Neither maker posts a price at the time of writing. Lifeward's homepage has a "Contact Lifeward to Learn More" link for the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, and Ekso's homepage links to a shop and a request-information form for the Indego Personal and EksoNR. Pair the maker's quote with a coverage answer from the insurer or Medicare plan.