How To Get An Electric Wheelchair When You're Short On Cash

If you are disabled, owning an electric wheelchair allows you to retain a tremendous amount of independence. You can use it to get around with ease, and because so many facilities are beginning to make their places more accessible, going places alone no longer has to seem like such a burden. However, electric wheelchairs aren't cheap. A power wheelchair can start at around $1,200 dollars and go up as high as $30,000 dollars. Although you might have resigned yourself to using a manual chair, read below to find out what you can do to get a power version when you don't have a lot of money.

Ask Your Doctor For A Prescription

It's quite common for some people to think that doctors only prescribe things such as pills, creams, or other medications. The truth of the matter is that they have the ability to prescribe nearly anything which will assist a patient who has an ailment. Getting a prescription from your doctor for a power wheelchair can finally unlock your ability to get the chair that you need.

As long as your doctor determines that it is a medical necessity for you to have an electric wheelchair, they can write you out a prescription for it. Your insurance company will then most likely have to honor it and either cover the total cost of the chair or a significant portion of it. If your private insurance company is unwilling to extend coverage to the chair, try your hand at Medicare. They just may be able to help.

Apply For A Foundation-Based Grant

There are so many groups and programs out there which are devoted to assisting people with disabilities. The foundations which are started by these groups receive all kinds of donations and subsidies which often allow them to provide medical equipment to the public for free or at very low prices. 

The Internet is a good place to start. Use a search engine to look up the foundations which cater to people who have the same disability as yourself. Go to the various websites and see if there is a grant application there that you can fill out. Some will require you to send over a letter explaining your situation in order to be considered for the funding.

Getting an electric wheelchair can be life-changing. Look beyond your own financial standing and take the steps necessary to make your dreams of owning a power chair a reality.To learn more about electric wheelchairs, contact a company like Corner Home Medical.