Why is Only the Lifting Mechanism Covered by Medicare?

Why is Only the Lifting Mechanism Covered by Medicare?

A lift chair is a special type of recliner that makes it easier to stand and sit. The base of the chair contains a lifting mechanism that lifts the chair into the air. When the chair is fully raised, it is possible to safely exit the chair in a near standing position. They are also used to allow an individual to sit in a safe and controlled manner.

Medicare, a type of federally funded insurance available for some Americans, partially covers the cost of lift chairs. They are considered durable medical equipment and Medicare will only cover the cost of the lifting mechanism in the chair. Usually this is around $300, but Medicare used to cover the cost of the entire chair.

Lift chairs first became popular in the early eighties. Most often these chairs where constructed by taking a recliner and retro fitting it with a lifting mechanism. They were not very uniform either and many used a spring lifting system that raised the chair in a very jarring manner. The spring loaded chairs proved to be unsafe and dangerous.

In addition to these problems, the number of claims for lift chairs was growing at a very fast rate. In 1984 there were around 200,000 lift chair claims filed for lift chairs. The next year, 1985, there were 700,000 claims for lift chairs. By 1989 the cost of the claims filed for lift chairs was $60 million dollars.

The cost of the claims for the lift chairs and the inconsistencies in lift chair quality lead the government to change the way Medicare covered lift chairs. They decided to only cover the cost of the lifting mechanism and ordered that it must operate smoothly and safely. This greatly improved lift chair quality and safety, because spring loaded chairs were no longer covered.