What You Need to Know About Medicare

Many people who require a Lightweight Wheelchair also need some aid in paying for them. Quite a few people turn to Medicare for financial assistance with wheelchairs or other mobility aids, although the procedure is neither simple nor quick, and if your retailer offers you some help you should accept it. It shouldn’t matter whether you are capable of processing your own paperwork or if a company is submitting it for you, though; you should begin the process with a few large pieces of information.

First, Medicare does not cover the entire price of Folding Wheelchairs. They can offset 80% of the price, yet you or your secondary insurance will be charged for the balance of the expense. Fortunately, most distributors will not insist on the entire cost of the chair right away; they will bill you for your 20% and wait until the reimbursement comes before requiring the rest. Needless to say, this can go smoothly if you confer with your manufacturer to ensure that the wheelchair you buy is pre-approved by Medicare. If you buy the chair then your funding is not approved, then you will either have to turn in the chair or pay the unpaid 80% of the price, which is going to hurt.

Medicare is especially fussy about who gets funding for wheelchairs, and why. You may be puzzled by a bit of the logic which controls certain reimbursements. For instance, if you have to use a wheelchair to function in your home, they will gladly reimburse your for the least expensive model able to solve your problem.

On the other hand, if you do just fine at home if you have a walker but just require a wheelchair for grocery shopping, you are on your own. Medicare is only concerned about making sure that you can get to the bathroom. Although the idea of a motorized wheelchair could be attractive, Medicare would request a document signed by your doctor maintaining that you are not able to move a manual wheelchair in order to help you pay for a motorized model.

Additionally, Medicare will not help you obtain Lightweight Folding Wheelchairs outright. Regardless of the situation that leads you to require a wheelchair, Medicare will only permit you to rent a wheelchair for 10 months, then consider your situation and decide whether to permit you to own the chair. This method will have no outcome on your access to the wheelchair, however it will be explained in the documents that you are renting the chair as opposed to purchasing it.

As you have figured out, working with Medicare is a perversely convoluted process. Companies that market wheelchairs and other medical equipment have become quite adroit at navigating through the bureaucratic minefield, so it is highly recommended to confer often with your equipment provider. Once the paperwork is finished, you can drive your wheelchair home and get on with enjoying yourself. Happy wheeling!