Medicare and Durable Medical Equipment

Medicare provides health-care to seniors and certain individuals with disability and is a federally funded government assistance program.

In addition to providing assistance with doctors visits and other standard types of medical care, Medicare also covers a number of different types of Durable Medical Equipment. Durable Medical Equipment is a rather broad term used to describe things like Oxygen Supplies, hospital beds, walkers, eye-glasses, diabetes supplies, and many other types of reusable medical equipment.

For many of these types of home medical equipment, Medicare will cover up to 80% of the cost of the item and often have provisions to cover wear and tear, as well as regular maintence.

Medicare Lift Chair Coverage

Lift chairs are also sometimes covered by Medicare, but there are some special requirements and it can be a little difficult to get reimbursed. Often, lift chair buyers will purchase a lift chair first and then attempt to get coverage, with the understanding that it may be difficult to receive.

Medicare Reimbursement Amount
When covered, Medicare will typically not provide more than $300 for a lift chair purchase and this is only for the lifting mechanism itself, so it is sometimes less depending on what type of lift chair is purchased.

Requirements for Medicare Reimbursement of a Lift Chair

There are several requirements that must be met for Medicare to provide reimbursement towards the purchase of a lift chair and only lift chairs that use an electric lifting system will be covered:

• Doctors Prescription: A doctor must prescribe a lift chair to the patient in-order to make it easier for them to stand and sit. It must be part of a treatment for a recorded medical condition.
• Certificate of Medical Necessity: The doctor will also need to fill out a Certificate of Medical Necessity, which is an advanced type of prescription with additional information about the needs of the patient and the reason for the lift chair prescription.
• Necessary for Standing: The lift chair must also be required for the patient to be able to stand or sit in their home, in any chair, not just the living room. It must be required as the result of a mobility related disorder the patient has that makes standing on their own impossible.
• Able to Operate Independently: The patient must also be able to operate the lift chair on their own, without the help of another person, such as a caregiver, nurse, or family member.

Providing the above requirements are met, Medicare should provide reimbursement for the lift chair, up to $300 towards the cost of the lifting system in the chair.