Does anyone know how to get a new wheelchair for my 92 yr old mother?

Medicare will pay for the lighter weight transportation wheel chair, the doctor needs to order it correctly, by saying smaller area to move in, care taker cannot
lift heavy chair, they are really nice, I can't lift the old type anymore. they are heavy, but Medicare and supplement will pay for it. I just got one a month ago. after lifting the heavy one for a few years.

Oh ya.....and I did have to be forceful with the Med supply to get the one we wanted. IMO they wanted to just give me the best deal for them but I insisted on picking the one that works for us best.

Thank you all so much! These are the answers I needed. You all are wonderful and have made it easier for me. I didn't have a clue. Love & prayers to all of you caregivers!

Yes you get one chair every 5 ys from medicare....it has to be a wheelchair to keep them independent meaning have the ability to self propel then Medicare pays 80% and if you have secondary it covers the other 20%...it is billed out as a monthly rental and after 15 mo's (I think) it is yours to keep. If you need it for around the house or transport type (small wheels) they will not pay. We found one that is fairly lightweight and is called a hybrid it has the large self propelled wheels that can be removed, used as needed and we did have to have seat belt and leg rests on RX as well along with a certain diagnosis. All this was told to me by Med supply so hope it is right! We love our chair. It is by a company called Medline and I believe the model is Excel Hybrid Also they all come in diff sizes, Ma is tiny so we needed 16" W, she should be fitted accordingly to her size!
Good luck!

Nochoice29 is correct you need to get a prescription from your Mom's doctor and then Medicare will pay for it. It is called "Durable Medical Equipment." Do you just need it for around the house or to take her to doctor appointments etc? I ask because they gave me a great one for my Dad but it was too heavy for me to get in and out of our car and I messed up my back, so you may need to ask for a lightweight one and make sure it has foot rests and locks on the wheels. Do not accept a chair that is not what you want or need from the Medical Equipment Co. There may be other agencies that pay for them as well but as long as she qualifies under Medicare, use them.

God Bless you both!

You can ask your mother's PCP to write a prescription ordering the wheelchair. The Dr. need to be very specific about what kind of wheel chair is needed and write it...(Regular wheelchair, light wheel chair, transportation wheel chair etc.) The PCP office should have a Medical Supplies Company contact and they send the prescription there. The Medical supply Company will call you to let you know when will be delivered. But be aware that when they call you to confirm description about what are they going to bring you home...I mean the color, big wheels, folding chair, plastic,etc..(Regular wheelchair, light wheel chair, transportation whel chair etc.) Medicare do pay for it once. Hope this info. be helpful. Good Luck!