If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition that affects your mobility, you may qualify for a Quantum® Power Chair. To find out if you qualify for a power mobility device, you need to get a prescription from a medical practitioner.
Getting a Narrow Wheelchair Prescription
Phone your physician or physical therapist and schedule a face-to-face exam. The medical practitioner must first consider the use of other mobility aids such as a cane and manual wheelchair before considering the use of a complex rehab wheelchair. If you qualify, they will write you a prescription and note in your medical record that your mobility needs can only be satisfied with a complex rehab power wheelchair.
Next, have the practitioner fax or mail the written prescription and medical records to your authorized Quantum® dealer. The mobility product provider must receive the written prescription and medical records within six months from the date of the face-to-face exam.
Upon receiving the documents, the dealer’s Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) will work with you and the medical practitioner to determine the appropriate narrow wheelchair to meet your needs. This includes conducting a home assessment.
When you receive your power wheelchair, your provider will demonstrate how to operate it. Note that the delivery of the narrow motorized wheelchair must be no more than 120 days following your face-to-face examination.
Funding for Narrow Wheelchairs
Medicare or Medicaid provides coverage for narrow wheelchairs if the device is deemed medically necessary.
If you want Medicare coverage for your narrow wheelchair, you must have an in-person evaluation and a special prescription from your clinician. The good news is that you already need a prescription in the first place to get a complex rehab power chair. See steps above for obtaining a prescription.
To qualify for Medicaid, you must meet income and resource requirements. You also must be medically needy or fall into an eligibility category specified by your state. Anyone receiving Supplementary Security Income (SSI) benefits is automatically eligible.
How Narrow Wheelchairs Change Lives
The Edge 3 Stretto is a life changing motorized wheelchair. If you want to learn more about its benefits and how it contributes to independence, just check out what Stretto users like Jared Wayland are saying! Jared shares experiencing his first winter in his Stretto and how he’s confident in doing all of his favorite activities independently.
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