DOES MEDICARE COVER COST OF A STAIR CHAIR LIFT?

DOES MEDICARE COVER COST OF A STAIR CHAIR LIFT?

Medicare is a form of health insurance created by the federal government, to help those that are disabled or over the age of 65. In 2007 over 40 million United States citizens used some form of Medicare to help them pay for their medical treatment. In fact, Medicare offers several different categories of benefits. In particular, Part B of Medicare covers costs of durable home medical equipment that a patient may be using after being discharged from the hospital like power wheel chairs, etc.

Medicare Part B covers different types of durable medical equipment and supplies for use in the home, but it does not pay for construction or installation of permanent equipment like a stair chair lift. So, Medicare Part B can cover the type of lift that is used to help a patient get in and out of bed or a chair such as a power wheel chair, but is not likely to cover the type of lift that could carry you up and down stairs – like a stair chair lift.
According to disabled-world.com, durable medical equipment refers to medical equipment that can be re-used and does not have to be discarded. Medicaid, a U.S. health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes stated that the term “durable medical equipment” includes iron lungs, oxygen tents, Nebulizers, CPAP, catheters, hospital beds, and wheelchairs (such as power wheel chairs) that are used in the patient’s home.  One would think that a stair chair lift would be considered durable medical equipment since someone who has had a stroke or is otherwise incapacitated would find a stair chair lift as necessary as any power wheel chair or other durable medical equipment. A stair chair lift certainly can be re-used and does not have to be discarded but apparently is not included on Medicaid’s list. This leaves the stair chair lift buyer with a dilemma.
So while there are many devices that fall into the category of durable medical equipment like the power wheel chair, stair chair lifts do not. Medicare does not cover the cost of stair chair lifts because Medicare currently classifies a stair chair lift as a home modification and home modifications are not covered by Medicare.

But don’t discard your hopes for Medicare assistance with your medically necessary stair chair lift just yet. Because for many devices like a stair chair lift, there is a glimmer of hope. There is one magically important and bureaucratically-required document that may solve at least a portion of your stair chair lift dilemma.   It is called a “Certificate of Medical Necessity”. To get some Medicare assistance with your stair chair lift, in addition to the routinely required prescription, you will also need to get a Certificate of Medical Necessity.

A Certificate of Medical Necessity is basically a much more detailed prescription. The doctor must analyze the individual’s physical ability and state that a stair chair lift is required for medical reasons. Moreover, in the case of a stair chair lift, the Certificate of Medical Necessity must state that the individual is not able to get out of any chairs in their home or the power wheel chair without assistance from others. Because the installation and the majority of the stair chair lift is considered a home modification, only the part that actually raises the chair is covered. Since the only part of the stair chair lift that is covered by Medicare is the actual stair chair lift mechanism, and it usually amounts to at most $300, you are required to come out of pocket for the bulk of the costs of your stair chair lift, which in general ranges from $1,600 to over $10,000. To get up to date and complete information on coverage of stair chair lifts, we recommend that you visit Medicare’s website.  To go directly to coverage guidelines for your state, visit:  http://www.medicare.gov/Coverage/Home.asp

All in all, while Medicare will pay for the power wheel chair but won’t pay for the bulk of your stair chair lift, most struggling families consider some financial assistance to be better than none.

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http://stair-chair-lift.net/Acorn-Superglide-120-Video

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