Medicare shifts wheelchair costs to disabled beneficiaries under new 'choice' bill
S. 247 — Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025 · Filed by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jan 24, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires Medicare to create separate billing codes for ultralightweight manual wheelchairs based on construction materials (titanium/carbon fiber vs. others) starting January 1, 2026. Medicare will pay suppliers a standard amount for these wheelchairs, but suppliers can charge patients the difference between Medicare's payment and their actual cost—meaning patients using premium-material wheelchairs may face out-of-pocket charges that don't exist today.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is to permit suppliers to charge Medicare beneficiaries the difference between a capped Medicare payment and the supplier's actual cost for premium-material wheelchairs. This shifts financial burden from the Medicare program (and implicitly from suppliers) to individual patients, creating a cost-sharing structure that did not previously exist for these devices.
What the text implies
- Beneficiaries with mobility disabilities may face difficult affordability choices: accept a heavier standard wheelchair covered in full, or pay out-of-pocket for a lighter, more maneuverable device. This creates a de facto rationing mechanism based on ability to pay rather than medical need.
- The bill permits but does not require the Secretary to issue a notice to beneficiaries before purchase. If notice is not mandated, patients may discover their liability only after committing to a purchase, creating a surprise cost trap.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
wheelchair suppliers and manufacturers (ability to charge beneficiaries directly for premium materia; Medicare program (reduced payment liability if beneficiaries absorb cost difference)