Does Medicare pay for wheelchairs and scooters? That depends on whether you meet all of its requirements

Fortune March 31, 2024
Richard Eisenberg

You might think that if you’re 65 or older and need a wheelchair or electric scooter to get around, Medicare would automatically cover it. But, as with so many areas of Medicare, things aren’t quite that simple.

Whether Medicare will pay for the cost of a mobility device like a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair or electric scooter depends on whether you meet all its requirements.

“It’s not the easiest thing in the world,” says Diane Omdahl, author of Medicare for You and cofounder of the Medicare advisory firm, 65 Incorporated.

Manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and scooters

To clear up any confusion about terminology: a manual wheelchair is one you propel or your caregiver does; a power wheelchair (also called an...

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