As of this October, patients no longer need a certificate of medical necessity from a prescribing physician to receive a power wheelchair or scooter from a supplier.
The change in documentation is part of a new interim rule issued this week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The rule changes the requirements for Medicare to pay for power wheelchairs and cuts down on paperwork related to reimbursement.
In place of the certificate, clinical documentation from a patient’s medical record must be submitted along with a written prescription to the supplier before the supplier delivers a power wheelchair or scooter to the beneficiary.
See more information at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/coverage/wheelchairs.asp.
