Credit score: CC0 Public Area
A College of Minnesota Medical Faculty analysis staff has discovered that entry to wheelchairs via Medicare-listed suppliers is inconsistent and sometimes difficult.
The findings are revealed within the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Utilizing a secret-shopper method the place researchers posed as sufferers looking for care, the analysis staff evaluated insurance coverage acceptance, administrative necessities, supply timelines and prices in two city ZIP codes. Just one-half of suppliers with wheelchairs in provide accepted Medicare, and plenty of imposed further documentation necessities. Amongst these suppliers, almost half reported it will take a number of weeks earlier than wheelchair approval and supply.
For these paying money, the median wheelchair price was $300. Most suppliers accepting Medicare didn’t point out Medicare’s rent-to-own program for wheelchairs.
“Patients attempting to access a wheelchair through suppliers listed in the Medicare directory face administrative and logistical challenges, highlighting the need for urgent policy form to assist vulnerable older adults in accessing critical medical equipment,” mentioned Arjun Gupta, MBBS, an assistant professor on the College of Minnesota Medical Faculty.
“Greater oversight of supplier practices, clearer standards and improved directory accuracy are needed to reduce administrative and financial barriers for beneficiaries.”
Additional research are prompt to increase to rural and numerous geographic settings, consider the accuracy of Medicare’s provider listing and assess the real-world impression of entry limitations on sufferers and caregivers.
“Patients with mobility issues are often forced to navigate a maze of phone calls, insurance rejections and paperwork just to get a basic wheelchair. These delays and barriers leave many with no choice but to pay out-of-pocket through online marketplaces or other sources— this is an unacceptable burden on those already facing health problems,” mentioned Dr. Gupta, who can also be an oncologist with M Well being Fairview.
Extra info:
Waqas Haque et al, Simulated Experiences in Accessing Customary Handbook Wheelchairs By Medicare-Listed Suppliers, Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2025.09.009
Offered by
College of Minnesota Medical Faculty
Quotation:
Why Medicare sufferers have difficulties accessing wheelchairs via insurance coverage (2025, November 12)
retrieved 12 November 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-11-medicare-patients-difficulties-accessing-wheelchairs.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any honest dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for info functions solely.
