For the first time ever, power seat elevation on power wheelchairs will be covered as durable medical equipment through the Medicare program, according to a benefit category determination and national coverage decision issued Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Effective immediately, seat elevation for Medicare-covered power wheelchairs is considered a clinically meaningful benefit for Medicare beneficiaries who perform transfers from power wheelchairs or use the wheelchairs for mobility-related activities of daily living such as dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding and bathing, the agency said. Conditions apply. Battery Powered Wheelchairs
“For too long, many people who use a power wheelchair could not access everyday items in their homes and may have struggled to get in and out of their device,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement. “This landmark Medicare decision to cover seat elevation is a major milestone that will improve the quality of life for so many who rely on this technology.”
CMS accepted a formal request from the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid Coalition to consider a benefit category and coverage of the equipment earlier this year. Previously, the agency did not consider the equipment to be a statutorily covered option. Based on the comments it received and the evidence the agency reviewed, however, CMS determined that the equipment serves a medical purpose in assisting with transfers in and out of power wheelchairs and with performing reaching activities.
For additional information, see the decision summary and memo.
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