$11 Item Senator Says May Save Those on Medicare Thousands in Medical Bills

A common household item could help prevent massive medical bills, one politician has said-and it costs just $11.

Independent Senator Angus King and Democratic Representative Seth Magaziner announced in 2025 that they would introduce legislation to improve the safety of older adults by ensuring that fall-prevention equipment is reimbursable under Medicare Part B.

The announcement of the Stand Strong for Medicare Act stated that 14 million older Americans experience falls each year and that a preventive approach was needed, including basic home modifications, daily exercise, and other simple precautions.

Now, King has advised that “prevention measures” could save individual Americans “tens of thousands of dollars”-and said an $11 bathmat could make all the difference.

He wrote in a post from his X account @SenAngusKing on May 21: “If Medicare would send these out to every recipient in America, I’ll bet the investment would pay for itself in under a year.”

Newsweek reached out to King for comment.

King shared a video of himself speaking in the post, in which he called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to invest in prevention efforts, such as bath mats and grab bars, to reduce falls. Under current legislation, he said, “Medicare will pay for a broken hip, but they won’t pay for a grab bar in your shower.”

He said that, should this happen, Medicare would see the “$100 million” cost of falls drop “significantly.”

According to a January 2026 report from the Fall Prevention Foundation, bath mats do reduce fall risk by up to 50 percent, with durable rubber mats reducing incidents by up to 70 percent. However, they should be used as part of a combination of safety measures, such as a grab bar or shower chair, particularly if a person struggles with their balance or mobility.

A 2023 study published in JAMA Health Forum found that the average total cost of a fall in an inpatient setting was estimated at $62,521, and that implementing safety programs to prevent falls saved the study sites $22 million over five years.

And a 2024 study published in Injury Prevention found that healthcare costs associated with falls among older adults were approximately $50 billion in 2015 alone. In 2020, healthcare expenditure for non-fatal falls rose to $80 billion, with the majority of the costs paid by Medicare. The researchers also advised that the findings should be used to inform fall-prevention policies across the USA.

King said in a press release announcing the new legislation: “When it comes to falls prevention, the solution can start at home with the installation of grab bars, handrails, bath mats and other quick modifications.

“The bicameral Stand Strong for Medicare Act would help make falls prevention equipment more affordable through Medicare reimbursements and, in turn, ease financial burdens on our health care systems and taxpayers. It's a win-win,” he said.

“This commonsense legislation will provide older Americans with the freedom to stand strong and stay safe."

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 3:44 PM.