Although I am able to walk, I have a difficult time walking long distances. Would Medicare allow payment for a wheelchair or Power Operated Vehicle (POV)?
Medicare wheelchair and POV coverage guidelines indicate that in order to allow payment for a wheelchair, a person with Medicare must be bed or chair-confined without the use of a wheelchair.
Furthermore in terms of POV all of the following criteria must be met:
You require a wheelchair to maneuver in your home;
You cannot operate a manual wheelchair;
You can safely operate the controls of a POV;
You can transfer safely to and from a POV and have adequate trunk stability to safely ride in a POV
You need a prescription from your physician prior to purchasing the POV, and the physician and supplier must complete a Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN).