A lift chair

Understanding Lift Chairs 101

 Motorized chairs called lift chairs can help you transition from a seated to a standing posture. They are helpful for patients who have just undergone surgery, have arthritis, or have neurological conditions that restrict movement. A remote control is used to operate a lift chair.

 Benefits of Lift Chair Use

Three million seniors over the age of 65 receive emergency room care each year for fall-related injuries.

Lift chairs include a mechanical component that elevates and tilts the chair forward to assist you in standing up. They look like regular chairs otherwise. Older adults with limited mobility can safely ascend to a standing posture with the use of lift chairs. People with severe hip or knee arthritis can also benefit from using these chairs.

Using a lift chair can help with posture, too. Some chairs have a variety of settings so you can find the one that's most comfortable for you. You can use the elevated footrest of the chair to lessen leg pain. Lift chairs save you energy, so you might experience less fatigue overall, especially in the shoulders.

Three different lift chair models exist:

Lift chairs with infinite positions. This backrest can recline all the way, and its footrest has a separate control from the backrest.

Lift chairs with two positions. It may not be as comfy as the other variants because it doesn't fully recline.

Lift chairs with three positions. It can recline all the way, however, because the footrest has a separate control, it extends when the backrest does.

All lift chairs allow you to stop the backrest at any angle of reclining.

In medical supply stores close to hospitals, you can try out several lift chairs before buying.

Using a lift chair might be risky.

Being mindful of your surroundings is crucial while utilizing the chair. So, before purchasing a lift chair, you should think about these risks:

Small children and animals may become wedged between the seat cushion and backrest when the chair is brought forward, as well as under the chair's base when it is lowered.

The seat cushion and the leg rest may entrap your legs.

It's possible for pillows and other items to snag on the chair and tumble inside.

Medicare and lift chairs

After you pay the deductible, your insurance may cover the majority of the cost of a lift chair if you have Medicare Part B. Around 20% of what you owe will be covered by Medicare. However, the precise sum you will be required to pay will depend on the additional insurance you have and your supplier.

Your doctor will determine whether the lift chair is a medical necessity for you before Medicare can pay for its cost. Your physician will therefore complete the medical necessity form, which requests that they attest to the following:

1. If you have been told that you have a serious neuromuscular illness, such as severe knee or hip arthritis,

2. Once you are standing, see whether you can move around.

3. If any other form of chair doesn't allow you to stand up on your own

4. If you've tried alternative remedies and aids to standing without success (as shown by medical records)

You can be required by Medicare to rent a lift chair rather than purchase one, or you might be given the option of renting or purchasing one. Both your physician and your supplier must be Medicare members. For a list of authorized lift chair vendors in your area, ask your doctor. Lift chairs are under the category of "patient lifts," a form of DME covered by Medicare Part B. The lift chair should last at least three years as a DME.

Making a Lift Chair Claim

You can ask your supplier to submit a claim on your behalf if you've purchased a lift chair from an authorised vendor and you're enrolled in Medicare Part B. Claims that are submitted more than a year after you purchase the chair won't be compensated.

You can submit your own claim if the deadline is drawing near and your supplier hasn't yet done so. It's only necessary for you to give:

A "Patient Request for Medical Payment" form that has been finished

A letter outlining your justifications for making the claim rather than your supplier

A statement from your provider

Supplementary records