Posts filed under 'Electric Wheelchairs & Scooters'
Durable equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and other medical equipment has long been the subject of frustration because of their costs. If an individual has Medicare, often Medicare pays for some or all of these items, with little cost to the recipient.
However, the costs of much of this equipment are extremely high, and not affordable to most Medicare recipients. Even though Medicare helps with the expenses, there are still issues that are being addressed.
Medicare has determined that the costs are too high for them, as well. They have proposed a solution that would help consumers and help the Medicare program itself. To save money for recipients and the Medicare system, Medicare wants to institute a competitive bidding process for some durable medical equipment. This would mean that companies that supply these items would have to bid toward the lowest price in order to be given contracts through Medicare. In addition, these lower price savings would be passed on to Medicare Beneficiaries.
On the surface this seems like a good idea, and in many cases, it would work. The problem is that many of the companies that provide this equipment are small businesses that have a small profit margin. Some of these businesses have no room to decrease their prices and as a result, might be shut out of the process of providing durable equipment through Medicare. This could severely cripple the businesses or even put them out of business.
Another drawback is that there would probably be fewer choices for Medicare recipients along with fewer knowledgeable providers. Patients might have to switch from their current providers to a new one that they don’t know. Some beneficiaries have been affected already, as the bidding process has started. It is taking longer to get their equipment. A high percentage of providers have already had to cut back or go out of business.
In the long run, things will even out. In the short term, however, if you are a Medicare recipient, try to deal with durable equipment in advance. Put your order in early, and try to be patient as everything is sorted out. We can all be hopeful that the discounts will truly be passed on, saving beneficiaries money on essential equipment they need.
If you are having problems with mobility then you will most liekly need an electric wheelchair to do your daily activities. However, you have to consider the fact that not all people can afford such equipments.
If you have Medicaid, then you will see that this healthcare program provided by the state and federal government of the United States will be able to help you out in terms of financing the purchase of the equipment.
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If you’re having mobility problems you might qualify for an electric wheelchair under Medicare coverage. An electric wheelchair solution can greatly improve the quality of life for mobility impaired patients and is well worth considering as an available option. The new Electric wheelchair provisions from May 2005, allow for partial or complete coverage of an electric wheelchair, based on the need of the patients.
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Hoveround electric wheelchairs are popular mobility solution for people having trouble getting around as much as they’d like to; and with your doctor’s help these mobility solutions are almost completely, or is some cases 100%, covered. These electric wheelchairs can greatly improve the quality of life of someone who, because of pain or disability, cannot get out of the house as much as they’d like.
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The Scooter Store, the nation’s largest supplier of power wheelchairs (electric wheelchairs) and mobility scooters, today announced it supports changes to the Social Security
Act that would eliminate language restricting power wheelchairs and
scooters obtained through Medicare to use inside a person’s house or home.
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The Scooter Store is the nation’s largest provider of powered mobility, which includes electric wheelchairs and scooters. Founded by Doug Harrison, the company has recently battled Medicare over allegations that it committed fraud or abused the Medicare system.
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Most medical equipment supply companies offer a vast line of electric wheelchairs. The different versions will vary by size, weight capacity and other options. There are oversized chairs for bariatric (or obese) patients. There are smaller chairs for children and petite adults. There are also different seats, colors and footpads for chairs.
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Once your doctor has completed all of the necessary paperwork for an electric wheelchair and the medical equipment supply company has agreed that you are a qualifying candidate, it’s time to work out any financial obligations. The medical equipment supply company you work with will submit your claim to Medicare for reimbursement.
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In October of 2005, Medicare began requiring any patient seeking an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter to have a face-to-face exam with a physician. This exam serves as an evaluation to ensure that the patient meets all of Medicare’s requirements for power mobility including electric wheelchairs and scooters. Most of the time, the patient has already met with a medical equipment supply company who will send over paperwork to the physician to be completed during the exam.
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Once a person has met the initial eligibility guidelines for an electric wheelchair, it’s time to visit a medical equipment company to initiate the Medicare process and paperwork. There are many companies out there that can assist you in getting an electric wheelchair. There are large companies like The Scooter Store and Hoveround and there are thousands of small independent medical equipment suppliers throughout the country.
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The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (Medicaid) today announced that it has bumped the reimbursement rate for power mobility devices (power wheelchairs and scooters). CMS increased payments for the K0823 class of chairs/scooters by $75.20 and and the K0825 class by $277.60.
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