Getting a van for the handicapped may be the most expensive purchase outside of home renovations. Some buy new handicapped vans and other buy used, but the costs are still high. There are a few things to consider before deciding which route you will take. The first is price. Most new wheelchair accessible vans will run you anywhere from $45,000 to $60,000. If you already own a van, these prices go down to $10,000 to $15,000 for a customization of the handicapped van. A lot of people forgo this option because of the prices. Although this is the most convenient choice, there are also services where you can hire accessible vans to transport wheelchair users.
Van Transportation for Wheelchair Users
If a purchase of a wheelchair van is outside of your budget, you can always hire a handicapped transportation van service, for a fraction of the cost. You can apply for daily or weekly scheduled times, where a certified handicapped van driver, will assist you in getting to your desired destination. Ask your local community elderly centers for programs that specialize in medical transportation. The United States has a program called Eldercare that helps older persons and their families to access home and community-based services like transportation, meals, home care, and caregiver support services. Call 800.677.1116 or visit their site.
Does My Insurance or Medicare Cover Wheelchair Transportation Vans?
When you want your insurance provider to pay for your transportation van service, your first goal is to get your doctor to prescribe approval for such a need. However, even with proper documentation from your physician, the Medicare program can still deny your claim.
Let’s break down Medicare and see if it is possible to get reimbursement.
- Medicare Part A insurance – Part A covers only inpatient hospital and nursing facilities care. Will not pay for van transportation.
- Medicare Part B insurance – Outpatient care is covered by part B and they might pay for van transportation. The section that they cover is emergency ambulance transportation. But as you can see, traveling between your home and a medical location, unless it is an emergency, is not covered. If you can convince your doctor that any other form of transport would endanger your personal health, then Part B might cover it.
Both options are very slim even if you get a wheelchair transportation service to submit a claim.