In a perfect world, anyone and everyone who owns a motorized wheelchair would invest as much time in considering their potential needs for adequate wheelchair insurance as they have in selecting their power wheelchair in the first place. However we do not live in a perfect world and all too often we see individuals cheat on their insurance needs for whatever reason and it can be a most regrettable decision. The following are some thoughts on why it is just as important to choose the right insurance for your chair as it is to choose say,
the right Pride Jazzy power wheelchair in the first place.
Now is the Time to Consider Power Wheelchair Insurance
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Here is something that should be obvious: Wheelchair insurance is something that you can buy if you are
someone wanting to protect the investment you have in your wheelchair from any potential damages from an accident. Naturally, there are going to be limitations to the different insurance policies offered by the different providers, including the more prevalent providers out there such as Medigap and Medicare. Really, there are some caveats that potential policy buyers should be aware of. With some mobility aid insurance providers there is a requirement to have a doctor give the one needing a wheelchair a prescription for the wheelchair coverage. For those wanting a motorized or power wheelchair, there is a definite requirement that proof of medical need must be provided, as well as documentation that you are unable to properly and safely operate a manual wheelchair. The level of reimbursement can vary greatly, with the policies of some insurance providers offering up nearly 100% reimbursement of costs, while other providers might only offer up a fraction of that. Something else to keep in mind is that, in many cases, any costs incurred in the purchase of a wheelchair lift or ramp are not covered in a wheelchair insurance policy.
Finding Protection Through the Right Wheelchair Insurance
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There are so many people in your community who are pretty much unable to walk without at least some assistance, and in many cases such people can really benefit from the prudent use of a wheelchair. Of course there are many others for whom the use of a wheelchair is a daily necessity due to their inability to get around on their own. The problem here however, is that not everyone - even those who might really need and benefit greatly from owning a wheelchair can easily afford a more reliable one. For example, the cost of a new power wheelchair could easily cost you from anywhere around a few thousand dollars up to near $10,000 or even more depending on the particulars of the chair one is considering. The serious investment required to get a chair is a major reason why every year so many more people decide to get a wheelchair insurance policy to help with covering the costs associated with any possible future reimbursement. Some insurance companies offer plans that include a reimbursement component. Companies like Medicare and Medigap are some of the more well known examples offering this kind of coverage.
Because Medigap is federally regulated and Medicare is not, you can have a secondary insurance policy with both companies without too much concern for policy conflicts. For some policy holders, there is a possibility to see a 100% reimbursement for the costs of a new chair even after the deductible has been accounted for because of having overlapping secondary coverages. This kind of dual coverage is not always available to all customers, but in the cases where it is, it is a most desirable benefit to have in your policies. Of course even if you do not qualify for overlapping secondary benefits with your wheelchair insurance coverage, the benefit of having a large portion of the costs of any future replacement wheelchair should not be easily dismissed.
