MDS Alert

What Do You Think? Does Medicare Ever Cover Wheelchair Vans, Medi-vans, Etc.?

Can you bill Part A-stay residents or their responsible parties for this service?

A private-pay nursing home resident with Part B insurance requires a wheelchair van or other non-ambulance medical transportation to go to the doctor's office. Will Medicare Part B pick up the tab? Is non-ambulance transportation sometimes included in the Part A SNF per diem?

The answer on both counts is No. Non-ambulance transportation is not covered at all by Medicare, says Jennifer Wormington, managing consultant for BKD LLP in Springfield, Mo. "In such cases, the facility can bill the resident or responsible party for the non-ambulance transportation if they give the resident or responsible party notice before providing the service," she says. "The resident/responsible party may want to make other arrangements, such as having a family member take the person."

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