Yes, lift chairs are covered by Part B of your Medicare coverage. They are considered durable medical equipment (DME) used to treat certain conditions like arthritis or other balance or mobility issues. These standards should be included in any Medicare Advantage Plan.
However, you won’t be covered for a lift chair if you’re residing in a hospital or skilled nursing home for the time being. You also won’t qualify if Medicare has already paid for a scooter, wheelchair, or another motorized device.
The piece of equipment that is covered by Medicare is the motor and contraption that helps “lift” you out of the seat. However, Medicare won’t cover chairs that use a spring device to lift you out as well as the fabric, cushion, and other accessories aren’t covered even though the device is built into the chair.
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. Supplemental plans will help cover all the costs Medicare doesn’t, too.
The reimbursement on a lift mechanism is between $280-$300.
- You mustn’t be able to stand up on your own from a regular armchair
- If you have severe arthritis in your knee or hips
- If you didn’t have the chair, your would be confined to another chair or bed
- If you can operate the lift chair yourself
- Once you’re standing, you need to be able to walk, even if it’s with the help of a cane, walker, or some other device
You do not have to check off every single one of these boxes in order to have a lift chair covered, but many of these situations can help determine if the lift chair is medically necessary.
