Supplemental Medicare Coverage For Your Power Wheelchair

When you have Medicare and are decided that you want to get a power wheelchair to help improve your mobility and self-reliance, then you do want to make sure that you take the appropriate steps to have your expenses reimbursed by Medicare.

Further, as some of the power wheelchairs can be quite expensive, you want to be sure to maximize your Medicare benefit and minimize your copayments, or completely eliminate them, by using supplemental Medicare coverage.

On this page you will learn about two possible Medicare supplemental coverages that can help you reduce and completely eliminate your payments toward your new power wheelchair. The two Medicare supplemental coverages are the Medigap and the Secondary Medicare Coverage. Let's take a quick look at the details of both and how they can affect the price you will ultimately pay out of pocket for your power wheelchair.

Medigap Supplemental Medicare Coverage

Medigap is federally run supplemental Medicare Coverage, designed to be offered uniformly across the US. For an additional monthly payment, you will get a peace of mind that both your Medicare coinsurance (currently 20%) and your Medicare deductibles (currently $155) will be paid for by Medigap, so you will end up paying little or nothing.

There are ten different Medigap plans: Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, Plan F, Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, Plan M, and Plan N. How do they affect your final cost of the power wheelchair?

• Plan C and Plan D: Will pay both your deductible and your coinsurance on power wheelchair cost - you pay nothing
• Plans A, B, F, G, M, and N: Will pay your coinsurance and will NOT pay your deductible - you pay only the yearly deductible (currently $155)
• Plan K: Will pay 50% of the coinsurance and will NOT pay your deductible - you pay the deductible ($155) plus 10% of the rest of the cost
• Plan L: Will pay 75% of the coinsurance and will NOT pay your deductible - you pay the deductible ($155) plus 5% of the rest of the cost of your power wheelchair

Note 1: It is important that you get the approval of Medicare for the reimbursement. In case Medicare does not approve the reimbursement, the Medigap will not reimburse their share either.

Note 2: It is best to enroll in Medigap at the same time as Medicare Part B or within 6 months thereafter. The insurance company will not be able to decline your enrollment within this "open enrollment period."

Note 3: Even though the benefits of Medigap plans as stated above are standardized, the prices of various Medigap plans can vary between insurance companies. Be sure to shop around.

Secondary Medicare Coverage

Secondary Medicare Coverages, as opposed to Medigap, are not standardized on the federal level. They are offered by insurance companies in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations. Within those restrictions, each insurance company can design and price the secondary Medicare coverage differently. Secondary Medicare Coverage may have higher limitations or no limitations on the costs of durable equipment such as power wheelchairs. Consequently their coverage may be more or less than the Medigap coverage. You will have to request information from individual insurance companies on Secondary Medicare Coverage and how it applies to purchase of a power chair in your state.

Regardless of which supplemental Medicare coverage you pick, Medigap or Secondary Medicare Coverage, be sure to inquire about the Durable Medical Equipment coverage and have the agent explain to you what part of power wheelchair cost, if any, you will have to bear after reimbursements.