What Medicare act is home parenteral nutrition (HPN) covered under?

• A. Prosthetic device act
• B. Medicare Part A
• C. Dietary Supplement Act
• D. Veterans Affairs Act

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how Medicare pays for administering nutrition therapy at home. Home parenteral nutrition requires an infusion pump and related supplies, which Medicare treats as durable medical equipment (DME) used for home care. Medicare Part B covers DME prescribed for home use, enabling such therapies outside of the hospital. Inpatient services fall under Part A, and a prosthetic device designation applies to devices that replace a missing body part, not to a home infusion setup. The Dietary Supplement Act and the Veterans Affairs Act aren’t the pathways for Medicare coverage of this home therapy. So the appropriate coverage framework is Medicare Part B as DME.