Insurance/Medicare Coverage
 

Since Segways are protected devices under the ADA, has anyone had success getting insurance or Medicare to pay for their Segway... as scooters are paid.

Thanks.

I haven't tried this, but I've been told that Medicare can be very reluctant to provide even high end wheelchairs. Segway approval _could_ happen, but I think you will find it difficult and unlikely.

The fact that it is not FDA approved, has --or should have--nothing to do with it. It is a long expensive process and most wheel chairs, etc. are not approved either.

If anyone knows more than I do, please share!

Medicare will only pay an approved DME for scooters, and Segways are not available at DMEs. (A DME is a licensed medical equipment provider for anyone who does not know.)

Also, they aim to only give them to people who can't get around their home. They don't care about the disabled people being unable to go outside or do errands. You are only supposed to get a power scooter if you're unable to operate the manual wheelchair, and a power wheelchair only if you can't use the power scooter. Basically, they are trying to reduce costs by only giving the absolute minimum needed. http://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/11046.pdf

I read that the DME sends someone to your home to decide which device to give you, after your doctor prescribes it as necessary.

DME actually means "durable medical equipment", and is defined in the Medicare law (Title XIX -- yes, I had to look that up!), and refers to the equipment rather than the provider, but other than that, that's my understanding of the situation as well.

There are many, many studies on mortality and morbidity when people lose the ability to leave their homes. The Medicare position is I believe financially irresponsible.

I think the chances are better with private insurance companies, which have more flexibility to make their own rules. But they do tend to follow Medicare's lead.

The last I knew, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation would help with power chairs but not Segways. That was a few years ago. I keep meaning to attend one of their events and try to do a bit of education... But I'm certain that far more Segways have been funded through private donations than commercial or governmental insurance.

Yes, they should provide more than the bare minimum.

I could understand them being willing to provide a scooter, but not a Segway, however, as Segways are a lot more costly. (Unless someone's disabilities made it so a Segway was the only one they could use.) They might argue they have a bigger learning curve (which may not be true, but they would say it), and they wouldn't understand how safe a Seg is.

The providers are commonly referred to as DMEs though. Misuse of terms/abbreviations happens a lot.