Does Medicare cover my electric lift chair?

Medicare stopped reimbursement for electric lift chairs in the early 90’s and now will only reimburse for the chair’s lift mechanism and motor. This will usually come out to be close to $300.

Below is the criteria that Medicare uses to determine if an individual is eligible for lift chair reimbursement:

• Does the individual have severe arthritis of the hip or knees?
• Does the individual have a severe neuromuscular disease?
• Is the lift chair prescribed by your doctor? If so, is it part of your treatment to improve or prevent a condition from getting worse.
• Is the individual unable to stand up from a typical armchair or any chair in their home?
• Once standing does the individual have the ability to move from one area to another?

Medicare will cover the chair lift mechanism if it operates smoothly (no springs), can be controlled by the user (without assistance), and effectively allows the user to stand up or sit down without assistance from a caregiver. Coverage is limited to the motor only.