 | Melody Claassen is the operator of WJ Power Wheels Corporation located at 794 North West Street in Wichita. Melody has been working in the medical field for almost 10 years and recently opened the Wichita branch as the company is headquartered in New Orleans, LA. Melody has extensive knowledge on mobility equipment and other power operated vehicles from previous education and medical upbringing. If you have any questions, please contact Melody at (316) 409-1116 or e-mail her at sales@wjpowerwheels.com. For further details, please visit www.wjpowerwheels.com |
Senior Living
2005-06-01 09:50:00
Motorized scooter mobility
ANSWER: There are two types of power operated mobility vehicles. One is a power chair, often known as an electric wheelchair, with a hand control that looks like a joystick. These types of chairs allow for better turning radius and can be used in and outside the home. The other type is a scooter that has a steering wheel or handles bars. Typically, these vehicles are best used outside the residence. There are several factors that come into play when determining the best power chair to meet your needs based on your height, weight, your everyday lifestyle, and the extent of usage. Although we are sometimes referred to as a "Lazy Society", I don't think we're to the point yet, of using power operated mobility vehicles for basic transportation. Electric wheelchairs have been around for a number of years and have provided thousands of people with the mobility they need to get from one place to another. The development was a result of seeing paraplegic veterans return from World War II in need of a form of transportation. The first electric wheelchair was made essentially with a typical wheelchair and then a small motor attached to the wheels. The chair was restricted by a small joystick placed at the proper distance on an armrest to allow ease and comfort of use of the stick for directing the chair. Innovations have been made in many different areas of electric wheelchairs since the early days of strapping a motor to a regular chair. The chairs built today have a superior mobility than any before. Some have the capacity to climb over limits along the side of the road and one can even climb up a set of stairs.Motors have become more and more powerful, offering greater speeds of travel while remaining safe and greater distances that can be traveled on a fully charged battery. The seats have been modified to provide the best comfort possible to the occupant that will spend many hours in it. When it comes to choosing the appropriate wheelchair for you, there are many options and models of electric wheelchairs available based on your desired look, comfort ability and budget of course.The type of medical coverage you have will determine what insurance filing procedures you will need to follow. If you have Medicare, you will need a prescription from your doctor in addition to having a certificate of medical necessity. From that point, your claim will be forwarded to Medicare for approval. Some companies will pre-qualify you for a power chair or scooter and will provide the equipment to you before Medicare approves your claim. Medicare covers 80% of the power-operated vehicle and the other 20% can be covered by a secondary insurance. However, the remaining 20% can be waived if you qualify for financial hardship otherwise the balance is an out-of-pocket expense. If your coverage is a private insurance, qualifications may vary but most insurance companies follow protocol similar to Medicare.
