My neuropathy has been acting up more lately. In addition, I'm having more trouble walking long distances. I started looking into mobility scooters. Wow. There are a lot of them. There are major differences between a lot of them. Reliability is another whole issue, and not to be taken lightly either. I took price into consideration too. After a good bit of research, I decided that the Shoprider Sunrunner 4, would be a good choice.
I am not on medicare yet, so I contacted my insurance provider. First, you have to get a prescription from your healthcare provider. They don't provide wheelchairs/scooters unless you are almost totally unable to walk. If you can, for example, walk just fine from the couch to the bathroom, and back, or to the kitchen, then you don't qualify. Secondly, you have to get a home inspection, to ensure your mobility device can easily be used in the home. Ok, I meet those requirements. The next hurdle is, that there is a separate $1,000.00 deductible, apart from my regular insurance deductible. Fortunately, Dh's work will cover the deductible. If you get your equipment from an in network provider, they cover 100%, and if you get it from an out of network provider, they cover 80%. They said there might be other restrictions, and gave me a list of in network providers, to call.
Being encouraged with the information they gave me, I called the largest of the in network providers. The gal on the phone didn't have a lot of information, and kept putting me on hold. All she knew was, I had to have a prescription, then they would contact me, and deliver a Pride Go Go scooter. Is that because of the insurance, or because that's all the company carries. She didn't know. Could the amount the insurance would apply to the Go Go, be applied to another scooter, and I pay the difference? She didn't know.
I called another supplier on the list. Same type runaround. Finally, I called another supplier, and the girl was very knowledgeable. My insurance covers 1 model of the Go Go scooter. That's it. It can't be the portable model, because they don't want you using it outside the home. It can't be the better model that has better battery life, so I can use it at an outdoor flea market, the mall, the grocery store, the fair, car shows, etc. Again, they don't care about how you may not be able to get around for other activities. They only care about you being able to get around your home. It's the next to cheapest model Pride Go Go makes.
I'm still checking options. Maybe one of the providers will allow me to add to what the insurance allows, and upgrade.
