If you talk to
Medicare, they will quickly tell you that they cover 80% of the cost of a power
wheelchair or scooter under certain circumstances. First, a Medicare approved doctor must
perform a full physical and determine that you need a wheelchair or scooter for
one or more of the following reasons: you have a spinal, brain, or muscular
condition, you are unable to build upper body strength, or you are bedridden
for the majority of your day when not in a wheelchair.
The same doctor
that does the physical must then write out a prescription and fill out
Medicare’s approval forms. Medicare will
pay for 80% after your deductible. After
reading Medicare’s rules, it becomes clear that they do not give away free
wheelchairs.
If you have a
supplemental insurance program or Medicaid, they may pick up the remaining 20%
of the purchase price, but this is totally up to their review. They do not have to approve coverage, even if
Medicare has approved the wheelchair and is paying their 80%. Each health insurance company has the right
to approve or decline the application.
There is no way
to guarantee you will receive a free wheelchair through using either Medicaid
or Medicare. A company that makes such a
guarantee may be one of many who have one of many who have been sued by the
attorney general office in Texas
for fraudulent practices. In one 2003
case, the company billed the federal government $12,000 for the
wheelchair. Medicare then sent the
purchaser a bill for their portion plus the deductible. In the end, the user never received the
wheelchair. This led to drastic changes
with Medicare’s system. They now have
stricter standards to ensure the patient truly needs a wheelchair.
When shopping
for a wheelchair, be cautious when looking for a company to help you get a free
wheelchair. There are plenty of scammers out there, so make sure the company
you go with is reputable and upfront with you about what they are capable of
getting for you. In addition, be sure to
shop around. Check prices of similar
models before you make any decisions.
And, talk to your doctor for reputable medical equipment dealers to make
sure you get the wheelchair you need.
