Does Medicare Pay for Wheelchairs and Scooters?

August
11, 2021

3 min learn

This story initially appeared on NerdWallet

Medicare Half B covers wheelchairs and scooters for those who want one to get round your property attributable to a medical situation. To make sure protection, your physician and the mobility gear provider should submit orders and documentation that meet numerous Medicare necessities.

To get a wheelchair, you could fulfill a number of situations

Your wheelchair or scooter can be lined provided that your physician and your gear provider are enrolled in Medicare.

Medicare pays most of the price of your wheelchair or scooter if all of those situations are met:

• Your physician submits an order stating your medical want for a wheelchair or scooter.
• You’ve gotten a well being situation that makes it tough so that you can transfer round your property.
• You possibly can’t do actions of every day residing — equivalent to getting off the bed and bathing — with a cane or walker.
• You’re capable of safely use a wheelchair or scooter by yourself, otherwise you all the time have somebody obtainable to help.
• The format of your property will accommodate a wheelchair.

Handbook vs. energy wheelchair or scooter

When you have ample higher physique energy or a helper, you might qualify for a guide wheelchair.

Should you can’t use a guide wheelchair, you could get protection for an influence wheelchair or scooter. To qualify, you could have an in-person examination along with your physician. If the physician believes you require an influence mobility machine, they’ll submit an order to Medicare recommending the wheelchair or scooter and stating that you just’re capable of function it.

What you pay for a wheelchair or scooter

You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved quantity for mobility gear after you pay your Half B deductible, which in 2021 is $203. Medicare pays the remainder.

When you have Medicare Benefit, you would possibly pay much less. Contact the plan to find out about prices and which gear suppliers you’re licensed to make use of.

Relying on the kind of gear, you could be required to hire it or to purchase it, or you will have a selection.

Pre-approval is required for some gear

Some fashions of energy wheelchairs require prior authorization — that’s, Medicare should approve the acquisition or rental prematurely. Your gear provider can let you know whether or not you want prior authorization and may submit the required paperwork to Medicare.

Medicare might deny your prior authorization request if the company believes you don’t want a wheelchair or extra info is required. Ask your provider to work along with your physician to revise the authorization request and resubmit it.

The article Does Medicare Pay for Wheelchairs and Scooters? initially appeared on NerdWallet.