1) Medicare sets an allowable for each piece of equipment supplied to them by DME Suppliers. These allowables are slightly different in different parts of the US. The allowable for a Group 2 Standard power Wheelchair that will hold a person up to 300 pounds is $3,641.40 plus batteries at $199.66 for a total allowable of $3,841.06. The power wheelchair in our line that fits into this category is the Invacare Pronto M51 (See deatails on the Pronto M51 under the "Our Products" tag) which has a Manufactures Suggested Retail Price of $5,986.00. Jay Hatfield Mobilty accepts the Medicare allowable price and writes off the $2,144.94 differnece for those patients who qualify through Medicare or private insurance. Of the $3,841.06 Medicare allowable, Medicare will pay 80% (3,072.85) and the patient is responsible for 20% ($768.21). If the patient has secondary insurance, they will usually pick up the 20% Medicare does not cover allowing the patient to receive a new power wheelchair and no cost to them. There are other power wheelchairs other than the model Medicare pays for and if the patient opts to choose one of these chairs (larger wheels, larger batteries, upgraded seating, etc) Medicare and secondary insurance will pay the set amount and the patient would be responsible for any additional cost.
2) The process and paperwork required by Medicare for a patient to receive a power wheelchair is quite daunting for most. That is why Jay Hatfield Mobility Specialist’s and Administrative Assistants take care of all the paperwork for our patients. Completion of all the required forms generally take about 10 to 15 minutes. This is a service that is not offered by all DME Suppliers, which would require the patient to try and complete the pages and pages of the application on their own.
3) It is easy to get started. If you or someone in your family is having difficulty getting around the house to carry out activities of daily living, you can call or stop by one of our 7 locations in Kansas and Missouri and our Mobility Specialist will evaluate and suggest the correct Power Wheelchair to meet your needs. Each of our 7 locations has multiple chairs for you to try (we carry an inventory of over 150 power chairs in stock, ready for delivery). When you decide on the one that best suites your needs, we then complete the Medicare documents to get you started.
Once you have given us your approval, we can go to work for you to help get your equipment. Medicare requires your doctor to carry our a face-to-face mobility evaluation, so we help schedule that appointment for you. We then prepare the forms that your Doctor will need to complete for Medicare. On the day of your exam one of our Mobility Specialist will pick you up at your home in one of our Lowered Floor Mobility Conversion Vans. They will transport you, any famility members and the power wheelchair you picked out to your Doctor appointment. If you allow, they will go back to the exam to assiste your doctor in providing all the information Medicare requires for you to receive your chair. They will then transport you back home. As soon as we get the completed forms along with supporting chart notes from your doctor we will make arrangement to deliver your new Power Wheelchair to your home. This entire process from intake to delivery take approximately 4 to 7 days depending on how quick we can see your doctor.
