Medicare And The Purchase Of Electric Wheelchairs

Medicare and the Purchase of Electric Wheelchairs

By Joseph Parish

When it comes to the purchase of electric wheelchairs due to the cost involved the decision can be most difficult to make. There is some hope since in most cases, Medicare will usually cover eighty percent of the associated wheelchair cost. If you happen to have a secondary insurance provider, they in turn will generally cover the remainder of the cost.

In order to acquire Medicare for your electric wheelchair purchase, there are specific guidelines which must be followed.

First and foremost is that a person’s condition must be such that they require a scooter or a wheelchair if mobility is to be obtained.

The individual cannot maneuver a manual type wheelchair and hence an electric scooter or wheelchair would be required.

The person must be competent in safely operating the scooter or wheelchair controls.

The individual must be able to safely transfer to and from the scooter or wheelchair.

The person should have adequate trunk stability for safely riding a scooter or wheelchair.

The individual certifies that they have not purchased a scooter or wheelchair within eh last five years and received reimbursement for their purchase.

Medicare must be their primary insurance carrier involved in the filing of the initial claim.

Should Medicare have covered a previous purchase of a manually operated wheelchair, then that chair must be turned back into the company in order to place a claim with Medicare for the expenditure of the electric wheelchair.

After carefully screening and determining that you meet all the above criteria, then the person who is requesting Medicare support should promptly supply a portrayal of the patient's limitations in support of their medical necessity, the patient's diagnosis. All the above should be on the physician's letterhead as well as any other supporting documentation. It is important to keep in mind that the recommendation for the scooter or wheelchair must be made by an orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, and rheumatologist or by a rehabilitation specialist.

As we have previously mentioned, Medicare will reimburse up to 80% of the allowable charges. Reimbursement amounts may fluctuate between different states. Also, one hundred dollars are deductible on a yearly basis for the Medicare Part B supplement. Medicare claims are usually settled within a 30-day period. To be on the safe side you may wish to complete a Medicare pre approval form ahead of time.

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