Does Medicare Cover Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Arthritis?

The short answer is yes. Medicare covers radiation therapy for hospital inpatients, and it also covers radiation therapy for outpatients or for patients treated in freestanding clinics^[1]. LDRT for arthritis is an outpatient treatment, so it falls under that same coverage. Programs that offer LDRT say Medicare covers it and bill it routinely: one radiation oncologist told Medscape it has covered it for decades, and the programs interviewed reported no difficulties with payer coverage^[5]. Health systems say the same plainly: Novant Health's program notes "the treatment is covered by Medicare"^[7], and USA Health describes its low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis as "generally covered by Medicare and most private insurers"^[8].

How Medicare Pays for It

Medicare does not have a special category for LDRT. It bills under the same radiation treatment delivery codes used for other radiation therapy; the American Medical Association updated those codes in 2024, and the 2026 Medicare fee schedules list them with payment rates for LDRT specifically^[4]. A typical course — per the 2026 billing reference from Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company — includes a consultation, treatment planning, a planning CT scan (called a simulation), and five treatment sessions, plus the behind-the-scenes planning, management, and physics work^[4].

What Medicare pays the center for a full course depends on where you are treated and how complex the setup is. The 2026 national average Medicare rates for a complete LDRT course are:

• Hospital outpatient department: about $3,110 (simple) to $5,410 (complex) per course
• Freestanding clinic: about $2,430 (simple) to $3,990 (complex) per course

Those figures are what Medicare pays the facility — from 2026 hospital outpatient and physician fee schedule data, before payment reductions such as sequestration^[4]. They are not your bill. Your share is smaller, set by Medicare's standard cost-sharing rules, not by the facility.

What You Would Actually Pay

Under Original Medicare Part B, you pay the annual Part B deductible first ($283 in 2026), then usually 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for each covered service — if your provider accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment ("accepting assignment")^[2]. On a course Medicare values at about $4,560, the 20 percent share would be roughly $910, before any supplemental coverage picks up part of it. In a hospital outpatient department you may also owe a separate copayment per service, usually no more than the Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 in 2026)^[2].

A few things soften that number. A Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy usually helps pay your share of deductibles and coinsurance for services Parts A and B cover^[2]. If you have limited income, your state may have programs that help with premiums and cost-sharing^[2]. And most centers that offer LDRT have financial counselors who will verify your benefits and estimate your cost before the first treatment.

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage

If you are in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, the coverage itself is the same: by law, plans must cover all medically necessary services that Original Medicare covers^[3]. What differs is the process and the price. Medicare Advantage plans may require prior authorization — the plan approves the treatment before it is delivered; Original Medicare usually does not^[3]. Your cost follows the plan's own copay and coinsurance schedule, and the plan has an annual out-of-pocket limit after which it pays 100 percent of covered services for the rest of the year^[2]. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, ask the plan or the treatment center whether prior authorization is needed and get it handled before your first visit.

What "Covered" Does Not Mean

Covered is not the same as proven. Medicare pays for services it considers reasonable and necessary, and LDRT for arthritis has been billed that way for a long time. But the clinical evidence is still mixed: the latest American College of Rheumatology / Arthritis Foundation guideline for hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis does not include low-dose radiation among its recommended treatments^[5], and a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of twelve studies found no significant benefit over sham treatment for pain or function^[9], even as other recent trials have been positive. Coverage reflects how Medicare classifies the service, not a verdict on how well it works for you.

The evidence picture is not settled, but the treatment is not fringe either. In 2026 the American Radium Society published appropriate-use criteria for low-dose radiotherapy in osteoarthritis. A panel of radiation oncologists, rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, and a patient advocate reviewed 44 studies and found overall response rates of 60 to 90 percent for pain reduction and better joint mobility, calling LDRT an appropriate tool to consider when conservative treatments have failed^[10]. The coverage is real, the treatment is legitimate, and the evidence is still maturing.

Coverage can also vary with your specific plan: the treatment is typically covered by Medicare, but as Franciscan Health notes, "coverage can vary based on a person's specific plan"^[6]. That is why the benefits check matters. Four questions worth asking the radiation oncology office before you start:

• Do you accept Medicare assignment?
• Will you verify my benefits and give me an estimated cost before my first treatment?
• Does my plan need prior authorization, and will you handle it?
• If Medicare does not cover it in my case, what would I pay out of pocket?

References:
1. Radiation Therapy Coverage. Medicare.gov. Medicare.gov
2. Costs. Medicare.gov. Medicare.gov
3. Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans. Medicare.gov. Medicare.gov (PDF)
4. 2026 Billing and Coding Reference: Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) for Osteoarthritis (OA). Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers company. Current as of January 1, 2026. Billing guide (PDF)
5. Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Making a Comeback for OA. Medscape. 2025. Medscape
6. Low-Dose Radiation For Osteoarthritis. Franciscan Health. Franciscan Health
7. Low-dose radiation may help osteoarthritis symptoms with no side effects. Novant Health. Novant Health
8. Mitchell Cancer Institute offering radiotherapy as a treatment for osteoarthritis. USA Health. USA Health
9. Hammadeh M, et al. Efficacy, safety, and pain management of low-dose radiation therapy in osteoarthritis: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Rheumatology International. 2025;45(9):210. PubMed
10. Dove A, et al. American Radium Society (ARS) Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Low-Dose Radiotherapy for Treatment of Osteoarthritis. American Journal of Clinical Oncology. Published online May 25, 2026, ahead of print. PubMed