Does Medicare cover it?
Does Medicare cover wheelchairs and scooters?
Yes, when the chair or scooter is medically necessary for use in your home. Part B treats it as durable medical equipment: you pay 20% of the approved amount after the deductible. Power models need an in-person exam and a written prescription first. The estimator prices each type with the 2026 fee schedule of your state.
What this service costs you
You pay
$286
| Medicare-approved amount | $299 |
| Part B deductible used | $283 |
| Your 20% or copayment | $3 |
| Medicare pays | $13 |
| Deductible left after this | $0 |
Capped rental: full fee in months 1 to 3, a lower fee in months 4 to 13; after 13 months the equipment is yours. You pay 20%.
How this is calculatedMedicare Part B covers manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and power-operated scooters as durable medical equipment when they are medically necessary and prescribed for use in your home. After the $283 Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, provided the supplier is enrolled in Medicare and accepts assignment. Power wheelchairs and scooters carry two extra conditions: a face-to-face examination and a written prescription from a treating provider, and for certain power chairs a prior authorization that the supplier usually requests on your behalf. Wheelchairs are rented month by month and become yours after 13 continuous months. In Texas in 2026 a standard manual wheelchair is approved $299 over those 13 months, so your share is $60; a standard group 2 power wheelchair is approved $2,422, leaving you $484. A standard scooter, priced as a purchase on the fee schedule, is approved $1,018 and costs you $204. A supplier that will not accept assignment for every rental month can require full payment upfront, with Medicare reimbursing its share later.
Manual, power or scooter
Power chair, your 20%
$484
| Standard manual (13 months) | $60 |
| Lightweight manual (13 months) | $93 |
| Scooter (purchase) | $204 |
Deductible met; non-rural fee schedule.
Costs computed by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the costs are calculated
What Medicare expects before it pays
Wheelchairs and scooters help you get around when your ability to walk is limited. For Medicare to cover one, it must be medically necessary and prescribed for use in your home, like any other durable medical equipment. Power wheelchairs and scooters add a step: you need a face-to-face examination and a written prescription from a treating provider before Medicare covers them.
Both your doctor and the supplier must be enrolled in Medicare. Medicare pays for equipment only when it comes from an enrolled supplier, so checking enrollment before delivery avoids a claim that cannot be paid.
Rental, purchase and ownership
Medicare covers different kinds of equipment in different ways: some must be rented, some bought, and some can go either way. Standard and lightweight manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs are capped rental items on the fee schedule. Medicare pays a monthly rental, and after 13 continuous months the chair belongs to you. For power wheelchairs, the monthly amount from the fourth month falls to 40% of the amount paid in the first three months; for manual chairs, to 75%. The standard scooter is listed as a purchase.
| Texas, 2026 | Code | Approved | Your 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard manual wheelchair, 13 months of rental | K0001 | $299 | $60 |
| Lightweight manual wheelchair, 13 months | K0003 | $466 | $93 |
| Power wheelchair, group 2 standard, 13 months | K0823 | $2,422 | $484 |
| Scooter, group 1 standard, purchase | K0800 | $1,018 | $204 |
A scooter bought in one go meets the deductible at once if you have not paid it yet: in that case the same scooter costs you $430, the $283 deductible plus 20% of the rest.
Prior authorization for power wheelchairs
Certain types of power wheelchairs require prior approval before Medicare will pay. The supplier normally handles it: it requests prior authorization and sends Medicare the request and the documents on your behalf after your physician prescribes the chair. Medicare reviews them to confirm you are eligible and meet the requirements. Your benefits do not change during the review, and Medicare says you should not see delays in getting the equipment.
A request can be denied if Medicare finds you do not medically require a power wheelchair, or if it does not get enough information to decide. When information is missing, the supplier may send the request again with what was lacking.
Rental month by month until you own it
Your 20% over 13 months
$109
| Months 1 to 3, each | $52 |
| Months 4 to 13, each | $39 |
| Approved over 13 months | $545 |
Deductible assumed met. Ownership passes to you after the 13th paid month.
Where you live changes the fee
The fee schedule is set state by state, with higher rates in rural areas. The 13-month rental of the standard group 2 power wheelchair leaves you $490 in Florida and $483 in California, against $484 in Texas, at non-rural rates. In a rural part of Texas your share for the same chair rises to $783. The mini tool compares the four types side by side for any state.
Assignment through every rental month
A supplier that participates in Medicare must accept assignment: it can charge you only the deductible and the coinsurance on the approved amount. A non-participating supplier may decline assignment and charge more. With rented equipment, ask whether the supplier will accept assignment for all the rental months. If it will not, you may have to pay the full cost upfront and wait for Medicare to pay you back its share once the claims are processed.
Medigap and Advantage plans
Medigap pays after Medicare on the approved rental or purchase price: Plan G covers all of your 20% once the deductible is met. A Medicare Advantage plan must cover the same equipment as Original Medicare, with its own cost sharing, which the plan's documents describe.