Does Medicare pay for a knee revision and replacement after age 80? Is there an age limit?

I had my knee replaced 2 years ago, when I was 83 and there was no problem. Medicare and my supplementary insurance covered all the bills.

As long as your doc thinks you're up for the surgery, you're good to go. God bless.

My stepdad had hip replaced roughly 20 years ago, he required a revision four years ago at the age of 84, and Medicare paid for it. All was good for him with the surgery, though the anesthesia had an effect on his cognition. We were concerned that the surgery was the start of dementia for him. But, after a couple of weeks the confusion lifted. Now, four years later, he has early stages of memory loss.

My SO is scheduled for a double TKR in mid-July. Medicare will cover much of the cost and the rest covered by his secondary insurance. He is having his surgeries a week apart.
Are you saying that your knee replacements only lasted 10 years? Ten years is way short of the expected life a TKR. Are you a runner, tennis player? Something feels off as I research the expected life of a knee replacement last year, as I only wanted to do this surgery once--the second replacement surgery is said to be less successful.
Get your ortho surgeon financial office to help you with the specifics. Hospitals have specific cost packages for these type of surgeries. Good luck

You have great answers here. I think you surgeon needs to find out why your knee is going "bad again"........maybe you don't even need surgery. I work in ortho rehab and surgery does have it's risks dependent which go up with each pre-existing medical condition. This can be true for Alzheimer's dementia if you have any possibility of this now. The surgery can accelerate this, so just be aware. you obviously remember the rehab involved after surgery that is a must if you are to have a good return. Good luck.

OT Jenn. Great questions and suggestions. My SO has short term memory problems which started after his knees pain started.
The rehab is critical and you must stick with it for several weeks, a couple months.
I would ask your surgeon how long he expects your recovery to take.
You will need help at home when you first go home.

Weight plays a great part in the prognosis after joint replacement. If you are overweight/obese then loosing weight will give you a much better outcome at any age. If you slim down and follow a PT regime it might be possible to actually avoid the need for further surgery. In any case PT prior to surgery will put you in better shape to recover after surgery.

My mothers brother had knee replacement at age 100 and he did fine. I am guessing his insurance/medicare paid for some of it. He lived to be 103.

My dad had his knee replaced when he was 96. Medicare and supplemental insurance covered all the expenses except phone and TV in the hospital, which he did not use (has a cell phone and couldn't use the TV because he's legally blind). I contacted the hospital and they dropped the charges for those. My dad had quite a bit of preparation that had to be done ahead of the surgery because his blood count was low. That was resolved to the surgeon's satisfaction. Today my dad is 100 and while he has some difficult walking due to spinal issues, his knee is good. Rehab was very important, so if you go through with the surgery, be sure to do the follow-up. Rehab worked better for my dad at a rehab facility because he got more attention and practice there than he would have gotten at home when PT would have been only three days a week. Good luck with this.

Ask Medicare if they will cover a replacement. There is not supposed to be an age limit because that would be discrimination against the ADA guidelines. The major concern with advanced age is any anesthesia which could have untoward effects and possible death (think Joan Rivers case).