Do you suffer from upper body weakness that inhibits manual wheelchair use? Is your lifestyle limited by your ability to do every day activities on your own? A mobility scooter may be the answer to newfound independence.
Medicare provides coverage for mobility scooter through Medicare Part B; coverage which requires an annual premium. If you or your spouse has worked in Medicare covered employment for 10 years or more, you should qualify for Medicare coverage. Medicare will pay out 80% of the cost of a mobility scooter to the supplier. That supplier is responsible for taking care of all of the paperwork with Medicare. You only need to bring the supplier your prescription.
To obtain a prescription for a Medicare scooter, you must regularly visit a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, rheumatologist or doctor of physical medicine. Your doctor is required to explain to Medicare why a mobility scooter is medically necessary for you. Using a scooter outside the home or purely for leisure is not adequate for Medicare to approve coverage. You must need the scooter for in-home mobility to qualify.
In order to be approved for a mobility scooter, you must have good vision, be able to safely operate the scooter or have someone available to make sure the scooter is operated safely, and your home must permit easy access of the scooter without obstruction.
Non-participating electric mobility scooter suppliers may not accept assignment from Medicare, even if they accept Medicare. They may charge more since they have not agreed to the sale at the price Medicare pays. Medicare will pay them the designated amount for the scooter, but the overage will be your responsibility. So, if you want to save money, your best bet is to make sure you order from a participating supplier.
You also have the option of renting a mobility scooter with Medicare coverage. If you do not have secondary insurance and the 20% balance is not affordable to you, this will spread out the payments of that 20% to make it easier to pay. Medicare will issue 12 monthly payments to the supplier. Once Medicare has completed 9 monthly payments, you will receive a letter from the supplier offering you the option to purchase the scooter, giving you 30 days to respond. If you choose not to purchase the scooter at that time, Medicare will continue making monthly payment for a total of 15 months. You will still be able to use that scooter for as long as you need to.
Medicare provides coverage for mobility scooter through Medicare Part B; coverage which requires an annual premium. If you or your spouse has worked in Medicare covered employment for 10 years or more, you should qualify for Medicare coverage. Medicare will pay out 80% of the cost of a mobility scooter to the supplier. That supplier is responsible for taking care of all of the paperwork with Medicare. You only need to bring the supplier your prescription.
To obtain a prescription for a Medicare scooter, you must regularly visit a neurologist, orthopedic surgeon, rheumatologist or doctor of physical medicine. Your doctor is required to explain to Medicare why a mobility scooter is medically necessary for you. Using a scooter outside the home or purely for leisure is not adequate for Medicare to approve coverage. You must need the scooter for in-home mobility to qualify.
In order to be approved for a mobility scooter, you must have good vision, be able to safely operate the scooter or have someone available to make sure the scooter is operated safely, and your home must permit easy access of the scooter without obstruction.
Non-participating electric mobility scooter suppliers may not accept assignment from Medicare, even if they accept Medicare. They may charge more since they have not agreed to the sale at the price Medicare pays. Medicare will pay them the designated amount for the scooter, but the overage will be your responsibility. So, if you want to save money, your best bet is to make sure you order from a participating supplier.
You also have the option of renting a mobility scooter with Medicare coverage. If you do not have secondary insurance and the 20% balance is not affordable to you, this will spread out the payments of that 20% to make it easier to pay. Medicare will issue 12 monthly payments to the supplier. Once Medicare has completed 9 monthly payments, you will receive a letter from the supplier offering you the option to purchase the scooter, giving you 30 days to respond. If you choose not to purchase the scooter at that time, Medicare will continue making monthly payment for a total of 15 months. You will still be able to use that scooter for as long as you need to.
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Want to find out more about Medicare Scooters, then visit Brian Kleiner's site on how to get approved for a Mobility Scooter.
