Chitika

Chitika

måndag 11 januari 2010

Medicare Coverage of Mobility Scooters

By Brian Kleiner

If you are plagued by pain and weakness that make every day tasks difficult, a mobility scooter may be for you. There's no reason to miss out on the activities you once enjoyed and be compelled to rely on others when you can have your independence back again. You can purchase a scooter at little or no cost to you if you have Medicare coverage.
Does your lack of upper body strength make it difficult for you to use a manual wheelchair? If you answered yes to this question, you may be a candidate for an electric mobility scooter. If you must rely on the help of others for assistance at home to bathe yourself, get dressed, get in or out of bed, or use the bathroom, Medicare may cover up to 80% of the cost of scooter. Coverage falls under Medicare Part B, which does require payment of an annual premium. If you have secondary insurance, the 20% balance may be paid through that provider. Medicare requires that the scooter is needed for in-home mobility. They will not approve coverage for leisure purposes.

Mobility scooters are quite expensive, but if you qualify for Medicare coverage, you can own one at little or no expense to you. Medicare provides coverage for electric mobility scooters through Part B. Part B requires payment of an annual premium. Once your annual premium is paid, Medicare will pay 80% of the cost of the scooter. If you have secondary insurance, the remaining 20% balance can be paid through that provider, literally making the scooter 100% free to you.

You must be physically capable of safely operating the scooter or have someone available to you who can ensure the scooter is operated safely. Your vision must be good. There must not be any physical obstructions in your home that prevent the safe use of a mobility scooter.

Once you do receive a prescription from your doctor, the prescription is turned over to a supplier of Medicare scooters. If you order your scooter through a participating Medicare scooter supplier, that supplier will accept assignment from Medicare. That means that company will accept the payment Medicare offers. They will file all the paperwork and take care of collecting payment for the scooter. Your responsibility is to pay 20% of the cost to the supplier.

Once you do receive a prescription from your doctor, that prescription is turned over to a mobility scooter provider who will process all the paperwork and collect payment from Medicare. Your responsibility is 20% of the cost of the scooter, but if you have secondary insurance, the total cost may be covered through insurance.
You will get the best deal on your scooter by ordering through a participating Medicare scooter supplier. There are suppliers who participate and suppliers who accept Medicare. There is a big difference to you dollar wise. The participating supplier will accept assignment from Medicare, so no matter what he charges for the scooter, he accepts what Medicare pays. Medicare will pay the same amount regardless. But, if you order through a supplier that does not participate, he does not have to accept assignment. He can charge up to 15% more for the scooter. The balance ends up being your responsibility.
If the 20% of the cost you are responsible for paying is too big a financial burden for you, you have the option of renting a scooter. Medicare will still cover the rental, making a total of 15 monthly payments. After 9 months of payments have been made, you have the option of purchasing the scooter. If you choose not to do so, Medicare simply continues making payments and you will be able to retain the scooter for as long as you need to.

Mobility scooters are battery operated and come in 3 and 4-wheel versions. They are easy to operate and disassemble for storage or transport. Many come with options for a basket, walker or cane storage, or oxygen tank storage.

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