A doctor must order it. Medicare was going to cover only the lift part for my mom. You still end up paying hundreds of dollars. She lucked up & got one for free someone was getting rid of, and was still in excellent condition.
This is my understanding as well...Medicare may pay for the lift device with a doctor’s order if the person qualifies for it under DME. To my knowledge generally the family purchases the chair & lift themselves and then tries to bill Medicare for any reimbursement (not guaranteed). If Medicare pays anything at least it’s a help.
Plus as someone said it takes a bit of time for Medicare to process the claim and much too long a time for a patient that is waiting and truly needs the chair.
Those chairs are so helpful for people with CHF or COPD. I’ve seen them in use @ home during my VNA days. For those with the conditions above who use almost all if not all of their energy just getting up out of a chair, they are a Godsend. The families did tell me the chair was expensive (I have no idea how much they cost) but so worth it.
I hope you find a used one. If you do, try to find one that you can wash down (not cloth upholstery) for infection control purposes.
My father had 2 lift chairs and when he died we donated to St. Vincent de Paul's they said they kept a list of people who needed one and were thrilled that they were both in such good condition.
Medicare did not cover my husband’s or my mom’s. Try to find a used one if you can. When my mom passed, I left her’s at the nursing home. I’ve seen them on auction sites and on Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the cost. You can have it professionally cleaned if needs be.
We spoke to a salesperson at our local medical supply place when we were considering getting a lift chair. He told us that Medicare only has certain models it approves, and that they are very expensive and not necessarily as good as lift chairs you can buy at a furniture store. He said by the time you pay the co-pay, it might be more cost effective to just buy a chair out of pocket at a furniture store. We did this, after finding a nice one on sale. They aren't cheap, but we've found it to be well worth the cost. If a doctor recommends (prescribes) the need for a lift chair, the cost can be a medical deduction on one's taxes. This article might be helpful: https://www.aginginplace.org/does-medicare-cover-lift-chairs/
I know that Medicare part C and part B cover part of seat under “durable Medical equipment” if your doctor says it’s necessary. So basically yes medicare does help to pay for a lift chair.
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Plus as someone said it takes a bit of time for Medicare to process the claim and much too long a time for a patient that is waiting and truly needs the chair.
Those chairs are so helpful for people with CHF or COPD. I’ve seen them in use @ home during my VNA days. For those with the conditions above who use almost all if not all of their energy just getting up out of a chair, they are a Godsend. The families did tell me the chair was expensive (I have no idea how much they cost) but so worth it.
I hope you find a used one. If you do, try to find one that you can wash down (not cloth upholstery) for infection control purposes.
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