Stair Chair Lift Medicare Coverage

Medicare s part b includes coverage for durable medical equipment dme such as wheelchairs and walkers but stair lifts are usually not included in these benefits.

Stair chair lift medicare coverage.

However lift chairs can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars leaving many medicare beneficiaries wondering if their medicare health insurance coverage will help pay any of the lift chair s costs. Medicare won t cover chairs that use a spring device to lift you out. Lift chairs are also different from patient lifts which come in different forms and are used to help a caregiver or family member move you for example from a wheelchair to a bed. As a result medicare does not cover it.

Will medicare pay for a lift chair. To be considered medically necessary equipment a doctor must indicate the chair for the patient s specific health condition. Stair lifts can cost thousands of dollars and many seniors wonder if medicare will help cover the cost. Paying for a stair lift.

09 12 2018 1 min read various types of durable medical equipment are covered under medicare part b. In total medicare will pay for about 80 percent of the motorized device and you will pay for the remaining 20 percent as well as the costs for the rest of the chair. However equipment and services primarily used for self help convenience or personal comfort don t fit into medicare s definition of medically necessary durable medical equipment. While medicare typically won t pay for a lift chair in full medicare part b medical insurance or medicare part c medicare.

Stair lifts are considered a home modification which isn t covered under medicare guidelines. Coverage info for patient lifts costs for home. Once the lift chair gets approval medicare covers 80 of the lifting mechanism. Original medicare might pay for a small portion of the cost if the stair lift has an elevating seat which helps the rider to sit down and get up from the chair safely.

The fabric cushion and other accessories aren t covered even though the device is built into the chair. Get help you need with medicare learn more. Part b will cover the actual seat lift mechanism only. The beneficiary must pay the remaining 20 plus the cost of the seat portion of the lift chair.

Don t confuse a lift chair with a stair lift chair which is a motorized chair that takes you up and down the stairs. Some medicare advantage plans may cover the cost of a stairlift. However such a feature would only be available in a high end stair chair which would cost considerably more than the amount original medicare would reimburse the purchaser. Learn about patient lift coverage options with medicare.

While patient lifts are listed on medicare s website as part of dme coverage stair lifts unfortunately do not fall into this category.