Does Medicare Cover Stair Lifts?
One of the most common questions that I hear from individuals with limited mobility is, does Medicare cover stair lifts? The answer to this question may actually surprise you. Medicare benefits are available to a number of different individuals with limited mobility and to senior citizens. They are the ones who decide who is eligible for these various items, but instead of doing so on an individual basis they often have rules and regulations that can be cited, regardless of who you are. One of the main questions that you need to ask yourself when asking, does Medicare cover stair lifts is, what kind of stair lift are you talking about?
There are times whenever Medicare will cover a stair lift, but they are not going to cover the cost of installing one of these items in your home permanently. The type of stair lift that they will cover for you is the type that can help you get in and out of a chair, such as a chair that lifts and helps you to stand up easily. It is the type of lift that is permanently installed on the wall that takes you up and down the staircase which is not generally going to be covered underneath your regular Medicare benefits. Who is eligible for these other types of lifts?
Actually, anybody who is currently covered under Medicare and has a problem with limited mobility can get one of the chairs that helps you to get up and down. The unfortunate thing is, regardless of who you are, you're not going to be able to have the construction for permanent installation of chair lift equipment in the home covered by Medicare at all. That doesn't mean, however, that you are totally without options. This can help you to answer the question, does Medicare cover stair lifts quite definitively.
There is a list of approved items which can be utilized and paid for by Medicare whenever an individual has a difficult time with mobility or is dealing with a permanent handicap. You can find a list of these items on the Internet, along with being able to call your Medicare representative and discuss some of the items with them. Some of these will actually be able to help you to get up and down the stairs, so it may be a more convenient way of getting you around than having something permanently installed in your living area.
Although you were probably looking for a relatively easy answer to the question, does Medicare cover stair lifts, the answer is not all that simple. One thing is for certain, having Medicare benefits can assist you in a number of different ways and it allows individuals who may not have been able to afford regular health insurance to be covered under a some kind of plan. As far as who is eligible for these different items, that depends on your particular handicap, along with a number of other different factors. If you have any questions as far as this is concerned, it's best to talk to somebody directly at Medicare in order to find out.
