Reimbursing For Your Lift And Recline Chairs From Medicare

While it is true that lift chairs for some remain only as a necessity of luxury, unfortunately for others, lift chairs seem to be the point of "do or die" no matter how inappropriate lift chairs can be for the budget. Even the simplest lift and recline chairs may prove to be costly for some. Thankfully with Medicare, any individual with the great need to use lift chairs may now reimburse for the portion of a price it takes to buy one.

But first, let us review and clarify the details of how one can reimburse for the cost spent on a lift chair.

No, it's not the entire lift chair – the coverage only applies to the lifting mechanism. But at least you can get assistance for as much as 80% of the cost. The portion of the amount shouldered also depends on the state where you live and the type of lift chair that you want to purchase. But additionally, your insurance may further cover part of the remaining expenses and you can really end up with a very low cost to pay for one. Please note though that just as Medicare requires that you meet certain conditions to qualify for reimbursements, so does your insurance company. It will be worth to check their specific policies on this before deciding to buy one with the thought that you can easily reimburse later.

Yes, naturally you have to be 65 years of age or above. But there are exceptions. The Medicare website clearly states: "Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for people age 65 or older, some disabled people under age 65, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant)." You must also be an American citizen to qualify for assistance or at least must be living in the United States for five consecutive years. In the latter case, you will have to contact your Social Security to discuss enrollment and eligibility requirements.

Specifically, Medicare requires that you are indeed suffering from certain medical conditions before you can reimburse for the lifting or reclining mechanism of a chair. Your physician's findings should either indicate a severe arthritis of the hip or knee or an acute neuromuscular disease. Furthermore, the need for a lift chair must be justified if the physician requires that you use one during therapy sessions. He should be a qualified doctor treating your medical condition which has specifically resulted to your need for a lift chair.

The patient must also be "truly" incapable of rising up from a sitting position. Medicare has to make certain that the chair from where a patient is trying to stand up has enough of an ideal height for someone to say that the patient "really" cannot stand. Very low chairs will surely make it difficult for someone with knee problems to rise from a chair. However, sitting on a high chair may create a huge difference.

Lastly, Medicare should have not yet covered a similar medical equipment in the past for you. If you have already previously reimbursed for a wheelchair, a scooter, or the like, then you cannot anymore qualify for a repeat coverage. The best work-around would be to find lift and recline chairs with the most affordable rates but still with excellent quality.