Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, March 12, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 12, 2022 

DOES MEDICARE COVER POWER LIFT CHAIRS? 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Because of back pain and knee arthritis I’m interested in getting a power lift recliner for my living room that’s 
easy for me to get into and out of. Does Medicare cover them? Can’t Get Up 

Dear Can’t: 

Yes, Medicare does indeed provide some coverage 
for lift chairs, provided your doctor prescribes it for a 
medical reason, but they won’t cover the entire cost of 
the chair. Medicare will only pay for the motorized lifting 
mechanism, which is considered durable medical 
equipment (DME), and is covered under Part B. The 
other parts of the chair – the frame, cushioning, and 
upholstery – are not covered. Here are a few more details 
you should know. 


What Is a Lift Chair? 

First, for those who aren’t familiar with them, lift chairs, which look like traditional recliners, have motorized 
lift mechanisms built in that aid with standing up and sitting down for people with limited mobility. 
With the push of a button, a lift chair hoists a person from sitting to a position where they can comfortably 
stand up. It also works in reverse to help a person gently take a sitting position. 

Medicare Coverage Requirements 

If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, to find out if you qualify for coverage, you’ll need to get a prescription and 
a “Certificate of Medical Necessity” from your doctor that indicates your need for a lift chair. The conditions 
you’ll need to meet include: 

That you have severe arthritis of the hip or knee, or a severe neuromuscular disease.
That you can’t stand up on your own from a regular chair.
Once standing, you can walk independently or with the aid of a walker or cane.
That you do not reside within a skilled nursing facility, hospice or nursing home facility. 

You’ll also need to purchase your lift chair from an equipment supplier that’s enrolled in Medicare. To find 
and compare Medicare approved suppliers in your area go to Medicare.gov/medical-equipment-suppliers, 
type in your Zip code and “Seat Lift Mechanisms” in the equipment box. 

If you do qualify, Medicare will pay 80 percent of the approved cost of the chair’s motorized lifting mechanism, 
after you’ve met your Part B annual deductible. You, or your Medigap supplemental policy (if you have 
one), will pay the remaining 20 percent of the lift mechanism. You will also pay 100 percent of the remaining 
cost of the chair. 

You should also be aware that if you do buy your lift chair from a Medicare supplier, you will likely pay for 
the total cost of the chair upfront and can then seek reimbursement from Medicare. Lift chairs can run anywhere 
from $400 to $2,000 or more depending on the fabric, options and upgrades. The reimbursement is 
usually between $250 and $300 depending on the state you live in. 

Advantage Coverage 

If you happen to get your Medicare benefits through a private Medicare Advantage plan, they too provide lift 
chair coverage, but they may impose different rules and will likely require you to see an in-network supplier. 
You’ll need to contact your plan directly for details. 

Other Helpful Options 

If you find that Medicare won’t cover your lift chair or if you’re looking for something less expensive, there 
are assistive products you can add to your current furniture like the Stander EZ Stand-N-Go (Stander.com, 
$140), which has adjustable support handles that can be used on any sofa or recliner to help with sitting 
down and standing up. 

Another way to make your furniture more accessible is by increasing its height with “furniture risers.” These 
typically range from 2 to 5 inches in height and are inserted under the legs of your furniture. Costs range 
from a few dollars up to $50 or more and can be purchased at retail stores like Walmart and Target, or online 
at Amazon.com. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a 
contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 


FAMILY MATTERS

 By Marc Garlett 

PROTECT YOUR HOME, FAMILY, & ASSETS FROM 
NATURAL DISASTERS 

Living in the great state of California comes with the risk of forest fires 

and earthquakes. Yet despite these dangers, many California homeowners 

lack the insurance coverage needed to adequately protect their property 

and possessions from such calamities. 

CoreLogic, the nation’s largest source of property and housing data, recently reported that 64% of 
homeowners don’t have enough insurance coverage. With that in mind, here’s what you need to 
know to fully protect your property and your loved ones. 

Wildfires 
Although homeowners insurance typically doesn’t pay for damage caused by natural disasters, 
most policies do cover fire damage, including forest/wildfires. Generally, the only instances of fire 
damage a homeowners policy won’t cover are fires caused by arson or when fire destroys a home 
that’s been vacant for at least 30 days when the fire occurred. 

That said, not all homeowners policies are created equal, so you should review your policy to make 
certain that it includes enough coverage to do three things: replace your home’s structure, replace 
your belongings, and cover your living expenses while your home is being repaired, known as 
“loss-of-use” coverage. 

What’s more, in certain areas that are extremely high-risk for wildfires, it can be difficult to find a 
private company to insure your home. In such cases, you should investigate California’s FAIR Plan, 
the state-sponsored fire insurance program. 

EarthquakesUnlike fires, earthquakes are typically not covered by homeowners policies. To protect your home 
against earthquakes, you will need a freestanding earthquake insurance policy. While earthquake 
insurance is available just about everywhere, policies in high-risk areas typically come with higher 
deductibles, ranging from 10% to 15% of a home’s total value. 

Additionally, though earthquake insurance covers damage directly caused by the quake, some related 
damage, such as that caused by flooding, will likely not be covered. Nearly all policies exclude 
flood damage caused by natural events, so carefully review your policy to see what’s included—and 
what’s not. 

Pack A Go-BagBeyond having the right insurance, if your family is forced to evacuate your home in the event of a 
natural disaster, you’ll need important documents and supplies on-hand in the wake of the catastrophe. 
I recommend you always have a “go-bag” ready and packed with the essential items needed 
to survive for at least three days following a disaster or other emergency. 

In addition to clothes, toiletries, medications, and food, your go-bag should include copies of your 
passport, birth certificate, driver’s license, and/or other essential identification. Other documents 
to pack include copies of your insurance policies, vehicle titles/registration, and a recent family 
photo with faces clearly visible for easy identification. And don’t forget to have cash, in multiple 
denominations, on hand at all times. 

While your estate planning documents should be backed up digitally, having copies of your medical 
power of attorney and living will readily accessible is especially critical for medical emergencies. 
Without these documents, doctors and other medical professionals won’t know your wishes 
for treatment or which of your loved ones should help them make decisions in the event of your 
incapacity from illness or injury. 

Finally, make sure your family knows about your estate planning documents—as well as how to 
find them. Even if you have all the necessary legal documents in place, they won’t do you any good 
if your loved ones don’t know about them or can’t locate them when needed. 

Preserving Your Family’s Most Precious MementosObviously, not all your family’s belongings can be replaced, so you should take additional precautions 
to safeguard your most precious sentimental items: photo albums, home videos, old letters, 
family histories, and treasured cards from the past. Since you won’t have the time or space to pack 
these items in your go-bag, I recommend you make digital copies of these keepsakes and store 
them in the cloud. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …March Birthdays* 

Cathy Flammer, Clare Marquardt, Karen Blachly, Carla Duplex, Ella 
Guttman, Viky Tchatlian, Mary Cooper, Sun Liu, Helen Wallis, Joan 
Crow, Nancy Fox, Martha Cassara, Rita Johnson, Sharon Murphy, Heather 
Sheets, Mercedes Campos, Dorothy Webster,Terri Elder, Carol Cerrina, 
Amy Putnam, Sally Contreras 
* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

LAUGHTER IS NOT FOR SISSIES 


Since birth, I have been in


fected with a Laughter-Vi


rus. I’m not sure which side 

of the family it came from, or 
it could’ve come from both sides. But the least 
little thing will make me laugh. Sometimes I 
have a hard time stopping laughing. I have yet 
to find a mask big enough to cover my face 
while I’m laughing. 

If I am infectious with my laughter, so be it. 
It is one thing I can give to the people around 
me. 

I have been a laughter connoisseur for a very 
long time. The least little thing will make me 
break out in laughter. Sometimes at the most 
inappropriate time and place. But, what can I 
do? Laughter is laughter. 

I have enjoyed my years of laughter and expect 
many more to come. 

Although I believe laughter to be very good 
and healthy, I must confess that sometimes 
my laughter has gotten me into trouble, especially 
with The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage. 

Not long ago, she came into the living room 
with a worried look on her face and asked me, 
“Do you know where my glasses are?” 

I immediately began to laugh because I assumed 
this was a joke. The reason I assumed 
it was because her glasses were on the top of 
her head. 

She looked at me, “Why are you laughing? Do 
you know where my glasses are? This is a serious 
question.” 

It’s moments like this that are very difficult 
for me to stop laughing. I had to suppress my 
laughter because I did not know exactly what 
she was getting at. Wives always have a way 
of tricking their husbands into doing something. 
Believe me, I have been tricked quite a 
few times throughout the years of our marital 
bliss. 

She turned around quickly and walked away, 
muttering something to the effect of, “Why is 
he laughing at me?” 

A few minutes later, she came back wearing 
her glasses and said rather firmly, “Why 
didn’t you tell me my glasses were on the top 
of my head?” 

With a smothered smile, I looked at her and 
said, “I thought you were just trying to trick 
me.” 

Looking back at me, she smiled one of those 
suspicious smiles, turned around, and walked 
out. I couldn’t help but smile, which eventually 
turned into laughter. But as everybody 
knows, what goes around comes around. 

Last Thursday was a long day, and I finally got 
home, walked into the living room, my wife 
looked at me very strangely and said, “You 
did not have a jelly donut anytime today, did 
you?” 

With a hearty laugh, I responded by saying, 
“Of course not. You know I don’t eat donuts 
during the day?” And I laughed most heartily. 

“You sure about that?” She said on the edge of 
laughing. I laughed and shook my head, and 
started to walk away. 

“Well then,” she said rather slowly, “it looks 
like your shirt had a donut without you 
knowing it.” 

I stopped in my tracks, looked down at my 
shirt, and there it was. A drop of jelly from a 
donut. According to the evidence, I must’ve 
had a donut that day. 

I tried to laugh it off, but in a very stern 
voice, she said, “That is not funny. Stop your 
laughing.” 

Laughing does have a way of getting you into 
trouble; at least, that has been my experience 
throughout the years. But on the other side, 
laughter has good aspects to it. 

When I’m down in the dumps, so to speak, 
a good laugh helps to lift me above my discouragement. 
It’s hard to find a good laugh 
sometimes, but it’s well worth the investigation 
when I do. 

Whenever I’m out at a store somewhere, and 
I see someone that looks sad and down, I always 
try to do something to make them laugh. 
It doesn’t always work, but when it does work, 
everyone is laughing. 

Not many people have much to laugh about 
these days. If it weren’t for politicians, some 
people wouldn’t have anything to laugh at. 

Many a time, my wife and I will be sitting 
in the living room watching a little TV and 
much of that time is filled with laughter. Not 
so much what’s on the TV, but our response 
to what’s on TV. 

Most of the time we watch TV while eating 
supper. Almost nightly, the advertisements 
had to do with some cure for diarrhea during 
that time. So why do I want to hear about diarrhea 
while eating supper? It sort of quenches 
my appetite at the time. 

That in itself has caused us to laugh many a 
time. We can either laugh at it or get upset. 
More often than not, both of us choose the 
laughter element. Nothing lifts us better than 
laughter, no matter what we laugh at. 

Thinking about how important laughter was 
in my life, I was reminded of the Bible verse. 
David said, “Then was our mouth filled with 
laughter, and our tongue with singing: then 
said they among the heathen, The Lord hath 
done great things for them” (Psalm 126:2). 

That verse sums up the important aspect of 
my life. Because of the great things God has 
done for me that has become the platform 
for healthy laughter in my life. Looking at my 
life from God’s perspective, there are many 
things that would induce laughter. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com