How to Apply for a Medicare Scooter
The steps from the first doctor's visit to delivery, and what to check along the way.
Knowing that Medicare covers scooters is the easy part. This page walks through the actual steps, in the order they happen.
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The process has four stages: the doctor's visit, choosing a supplier, the claim itself, and life with the scooter once it arrives. Each stage has its own small traps, and most of them are avoidable if you know they are coming. Nothing here replaces the official rules, which can change from year to year, but it gives you a working order of operations and a list of questions to ask at each point.
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Step 1: Prepare for the doctor's appointment
The face-to-face examination is the foundation of the whole claim, so treat it as more than a routine check-up. Book an appointment specifically to discuss your mobility rather than mentioning it at the end of a visit about something else. Doctors see many patients in a day, and a note written in a hurry is the most common reason a claim comes back.
Before you go, write down what a normal day at home actually looks like. Be concrete. It is more useful to say that you cannot walk from the bedroom to the bathroom without stopping to rest than to say that walking is difficult. Your doctor can only document what you describe, and the claim is judged on that documentation.
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- Which rooms in your home you struggle to reach, and how far apart they are
- Which daily tasks you need help with or have stopped doing: dressing, bathing, cooking, using the bathroom
- What you have already tried, such as a cane, a walker or a manual wheelchair, and why it did not work
- Any falls or near falls in recent months
- Whether you can sit upright, balance and operate hand controls safely
- A list of your current medications and diagnoses
Ask your doctor directly whether the note will include the points above. It is a reasonable question, and most doctors would rather get it right the first time than fill in a second form later.
Step 2: Find a supplier that accepts assignment
Once you have the order from your doctor, you need a supplier. Medicare publishes a search tool for medical equipment suppliers on its official site, and you can also call Medicare directly to ask for suppliers near you. Use one of those two routes rather than an advertisement or a cold call, because the supplier has to be enrolled in Medicare for the claim to be paid at all.
When you contact a supplier, ask the same few questions every time and write down the answers along with the name of the person you spoke to. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, call the plan first and ask which suppliers are in its network, since using one outside the network can leave you paying far more.
- Are you enrolled in Medicare, and do you accept assignment for this equipment?
- Will this be a rental or a purchase in my case?
- Does this model need prior authorization, and will you submit it?
- What will I owe after Medicare pays, and when will you bill me?
- Who handles repairs, and how quickly can someone come out?
- Will someone assess my home before delivery?
A supplier who hesitates on the question of assignment, or who pushes a particular model before looking at your doctor's order, is a supplier to walk away from. There are others.
Step 3: The home check and the claim
Many suppliers will visit or ask detailed questions about your home before delivery, because the scooter has to work where you live. Clear the routes you will use most, measure the narrowest doorway, and think about where the scooter will be parked and charged. If a threshold or a tight corner is a problem, say so now rather than after delivery.
The supplier then submits the claim, and for equipment that needs prior authorization, Medicare reviews it before anything is delivered. You do not normally have to file the claim yourself, but you should ask the supplier to confirm when it has been submitted and when a decision comes back. Keep copies of everything you sign.
Step 4: Delivery and the first weeks
When the scooter arrives, the person delivering it should show you how to use it: how to turn it on, how to adjust the seat and tiller, how to charge the battery, and how to get on and off safely. Ask them to wait while you try it yourself in the rooms you actually use. If something does not fit or does not work, it is far easier to raise it at delivery than a month later.
Keep the paperwork that comes with the scooter in one folder: the delivery receipt, the warranty, the supplier's contact details and any notice from Medicare explaining what was paid. You will want it if anything needs repair or if a bill arrives that does not match what you were told.
Repairs, batteries and maintenance
If you rent the scooter, the supplier is generally responsible for keeping it in working order during the rental period. If you own it, Medicare may help pay for repairs that are needed to keep it working, subject to the same cost sharing as the original equipment. In both cases, call the supplier first rather than a repair shop that is not enrolled in Medicare.
- Charge the battery as the manual recommends, not only when it is completely empty
- Keep the scooter indoors and dry, away from direct heat
- Check the tyres and brakes regularly and report changes early
- Note the date and nature of any fault, and who you reported it to
Mistakes that cost people time
- Buying a scooter first and trying to claim it from Medicare afterwards
- Using a supplier found through an advertisement without checking enrollment
- A doctor's note that says the patient needs a scooter without explaining why
- Not asking whether prior authorization applies before delivery is scheduled
- Throwing away the notice that explains what Medicare paid
- Missing the appeal deadline after a denial
Each of these is easy to avoid, and together they account for a large share of the delays people run into. If you are unsure at any point, the free counselling service in your state, known as the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, can look at your situation with you.
Do I need to see a specialist, or will my regular doctor do?
Can I choose the model of scooter I want?
What if my needs change after I get the scooter?
Can I use the scooter outside the home?
Your next step
Book the doctor's appointment and bring your written notes. Before you speak to any supplier, look at the official coverage rules and the current Part B costs so you know what to expect when the bill arrives.
