# Medicare covers complex power wheelchairs only after an in-person specialty evaluation by a licensed professional such as an occupational therapist

Page: https://flyvolo.ai/en/changes/ev-20251001-occupational-therapist-6
Date: 2025-10-01 · Stage: Constraint
Can this record move a task judgement? yes
Occupation: https://flyvolo.ai/en/careers/occupational-therapist

## Scope

United States, Medicare. The coverage rule says the beneficiary must have had a specialty evaluation by a licensed or certified medical professional, such as a physical or occupational therapist, or a practitioner with specific training in rehabilitation wheelchair evaluations, documenting the medical need for the chair and its features; that this professional may have no financial relationship with the supplier; and that the supplier must employ a certified assistive technology professional with direct, in-person involvement in the selection. A payment rule for complex power wheelchairs only; occupational therapists share it with other professionals.

## Source

- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Local Coverage Determination L33789 'Power Mobility Devices' (revision effective 1 October 2025) — https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/lcd.aspx?lcdid=33789 (primary source)

## What this means

For complex wheelchairs in the US, deciding what a person needs is tied, through payment, to an in-person assessment by a qualified professional.

## What it does not show yet

One payer, one class of equipment; it does not cover simpler aids or home adaptations.

## How to verify it yourself

Open LCD L33789 on the Medicare Coverage Database and find "has direct, in-person involvement in the wheelchair selection".


More: https://flyvolo.ai/llms.txt