Medicare Wheelchair and Scooter Coverage: Orders, Suppliers, and Costs

Adapted from Medicare Coverage of Wheelchairs & Scooters, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The selected guidance concerns Medicare coverage and payment, not a recommendation for medical treatment. Numbered page references below refer to the linked source publication.

Coverage can depend on medical necessity, the setting, provider participation, and your plan’s rules. Use the cited publication for the full conditions and check the plan year when comparing costs or enrollment choices.

Medicare Coverage of Wheelchairs & Scooters

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers power-operated vehicles (scooters) and wheelchairs as Durable Medical Equipment (DME) if:

• The doctor treating your condition submits a written order stating that you have a medical need for a wheelchair or scooter for use in your home.
• You have limited mobility and meet all of these conditions:
• You have a health condition that causes significant difficulty moving around in your home.
• You’re unable to do activities of daily living (like bathing, dressing, getting in or out of a bed or chair, or using the bathroom) even with the help of a cane, crutch, or walker.
• You’re able to safely operate and get on and off a wheelchair or scooter, or have someone with you who is always available to help you.
• Both the doctor treating you for the condition that requires a wheelchair or scooter, and the DME supplier of the wheelchair or scooter, accept Medicare.
• Your doctor or DME supplier has visited your home and verified that you can use the equipment within your home (for example, it’s not too big to fit through doorways in your home).

After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your DME supplier accepts assignment.

Assignment is an agreement by your doctor, provider, or supplier to be paid directly by Medicare, to accept the payment amount Medicare approves for the service as payment in full, and not to bill you for any more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance. Make sure your doctor and DME supplier participate in Medicare. If suppliers participate in Medicare, they must accept assignment (which means they can charge you only the Part B deductible and the coinsurance for the Medicare-approved amount). If suppliers don’t participate or won’t accept assignment, you may have to pay more.

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare health plan, contact your plan to find out about costs and which DME suppliers you can use.

Types of equipment

Manual wheelchair

If you can’t use a cane or walker safely, but you have enough upper body strength (or have someone to help you), you may qualify for a manual wheelchair. You may have to rent your manual wheelchair first, even if you eventually plan to buy it.

Power-operated vehicle/scooter

If you can’t use a cane or walker, or operate a manual wheelchair, you may qualify for a power-operated scooter. To qualify, you must be able to get in and out of it safely, and be strong enough to sit up and operate the controls.

Note: If you don’t need a scooter on a long-term basis, you can rent the equipment. Talk to your supplier about this option.

Power wheelchair

If you can’t use a manual wheelchair in your home, or you don’t qualify for a power-operated scooter, you may qualify for a power wheelchair.

Do I need to see my doctor?

Before you get either a power wheelchair or scooter, you must have a face-to-face exam with your doctor. The doctor will review your needs and help you decide if you can safely operate the device. Then, the doctor will submit a written order telling Medicare why you need the device and that you’re able to operate it.

What happens if I need prior authorization?

You may need prior authorization (or prior approval) for certain types of power wheelchairs or scooters. Your Durable Medical Equipment (DME) supplier will work with the provider treating you to send a prior authorization request and any required documents to Medicare for approval. Medicare will review the information to make sure you’re eligible and meet all requirements for the item. If Medicare approves the request, your DME supplier will deliver a power wheelchair or scooter to you.

Power wheelchairs that require prior authorization

These power wheelchairs require prior authorization before Medicare will pay for them:

Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/wheelchairs-scooters for more information on power mobility devices.

How will I know if Medicare approves my prior authorization request?

Medicare will send a decision letter to your DME supplier. You can contact your DME supplier about the decision, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

Why did Medicare deny my request?

Medicare may deny your prior authorization request and refuse to pay its part of the cost if:

• Medicare doesn’t get all the information needed to make a decision.
• Medicare finds you don’t medically require a power wheelchair.

If Medicare needs more information, your DME supplier may resubmit your prior authorization request. If Medicare denies your power wheelchair claim because Medicare didn’t approve the prior authorization request, you may appeal the claim decision. You can file an appeal if you disagree with a coverage or payment decision by Medicare or your Medicare plan. Visit Medicare.gov/providers-services/claims-appeals-complaints/appeals for more information on the appeals process.

What do I do if I suspect fraud?

Signs of fraud and abuse by a supplier are offers to:

• Give you a “free” wheelchair or scooter
• Pay you cash or waive your copayment
• Have a doctor you don’t know order a wheelchair or scooter for you

You can help Medicare stop fraud and abuse by:

• Keeping a record of your doctor’s appointments and any equipment you get
• Reviewing your “Medicare Summary Notices” (MSNs) or your plan’s claims statements for payment equipment you never got or no longer have

Visit Medicare.gov/fraud for more information about reporting fraud and abuse, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

Source and further reading

Medicare Coverage of Wheelchairs & Scooters — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain U.S. government educational material, accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has selected sections, removed print navigation, and reformatted the text for this guide. The agency does not endorse Fynoptic.