Medicare and other government insurance policies all provide for appropriate medical equipment, particularly durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, but the rules may be even more stringent than with private health insurance, leaving you to deal with pre-approval, deductibles, annoying limits, and proofs of medical necessity.

If you need special medical equipment for the bathroom (like a shower seat), you may be out of luck when it comes to insurance. Medicare won't pay for it, and most private insurance companies take their cue from Medicare on this issue.

Although we need it to breathe, oxygen is one of the most dangerous gases in existence; it feeds fires and causes rust, among other things. If your medical equipment uses oxygen, be especially careful to follow all the safety requirements that come with it.