Many people consider purchasing a pre-owned wheel chair, because secondhand wheelchairs are naturally cheaper than new wheelchairs.
But is buying a pre-owned wheel chair a good idea? What should you look for when purchasing secondhand wheelchairs? What to Look for in a Secondhand Wheelchair If you are considering a secondhand wheelchair, make sure you don't sacrifice quality in order to save some money.
Wheelchairs are expensive, even if you do buy them secondhand, and you don't want to waste your money on an inferior product.
That's not to say you can't find a good deal on a secondhand chair.
But look carefully.
You can purchase secondhand wheelchairs from individuals who have chairs they don't use anymore, and you can also purchase secondhand chairs from some medical supply stores.
You might save money by buying from an individual, but there are some advantages to buying from a medical supply store.
The staff at medical supply stores is usually trained to help you select the right chair for your needs.
They can help you determine what size chair you need and what accessories will best meet your needs.
If you are planning to purchase a pre-owned wheel chair from an individual, you can still visit a medical supply store to look at chairs there.
The staff can still help you determine what will best meet your needs, even if you do not end up purchasing a chair from them.
A visit with a physical therapist can also help you determine what will best meet your needs.
Obviously you want to look for a chair that is in good condition.
The age of the chair is not so important, it's the condition.
If it's a manual chair, it will be easier to see if it's in good shape or not.
With an electric chair, unless you are quite mechanically inclined, it may be harder to tell.
You might want to have a mechanic examine the chair before you buy it.
If you are planning to buy a pre-owned wheel chair, you might look for one from a medical supply store that comes with a warranty of some sort.
However, most secondhand wheelchairs will not come with warranties.
If something goes wrong with the chair shortly after you buy it, you may just be out of luck.
Where to Find a Secondhand Wheelchair You can find secondhand wheelchairs at some medical supply stores.
Just get out your local phone book and start calling to see if the stores near you carry secondhand chairs.
You can also buy pre-owned wheelchairs from individuals who have chairs they don't use anymore for whatever reason.
You might find ads for chairs for sale in your local newspaper in the classified section.
You can find used wheelchairs for sale on eBay and Craigslist.
You might find a bulletin board in a medical supply store, a doctor's office, or a physical therapist's office with fliers advertising used chairs for sale.
How to Pay for a Secondhand Wheelchair If you have health insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid, they will likely pay for at least a portion of the cost of a wheelchair.
However, they may not pay for secondhand wheelchairs.
If they will cover a portion of the cost for a used chair, it will probably have to be purchased from a medical supply store.
They won't just send a check to Mr.
Jones down the street for his wife's old wheelchair.
Check with your insurance company to find out if they will help pay for a wheelchair, and if so, if it must be a new chair.
Depending on how much they will cover, you may find it is actually cheaper for you to get a new chair and have your insurance pay for part of it than to purchase a used chair on your own.
But is buying a pre-owned wheel chair a good idea? What should you look for when purchasing secondhand wheelchairs? What to Look for in a Secondhand Wheelchair If you are considering a secondhand wheelchair, make sure you don't sacrifice quality in order to save some money.
Wheelchairs are expensive, even if you do buy them secondhand, and you don't want to waste your money on an inferior product.
That's not to say you can't find a good deal on a secondhand chair.
But look carefully.
You can purchase secondhand wheelchairs from individuals who have chairs they don't use anymore, and you can also purchase secondhand chairs from some medical supply stores.
You might save money by buying from an individual, but there are some advantages to buying from a medical supply store.
The staff at medical supply stores is usually trained to help you select the right chair for your needs.
They can help you determine what size chair you need and what accessories will best meet your needs.
If you are planning to purchase a pre-owned wheel chair from an individual, you can still visit a medical supply store to look at chairs there.
The staff can still help you determine what will best meet your needs, even if you do not end up purchasing a chair from them.
A visit with a physical therapist can also help you determine what will best meet your needs.
Obviously you want to look for a chair that is in good condition.
The age of the chair is not so important, it's the condition.
If it's a manual chair, it will be easier to see if it's in good shape or not.
With an electric chair, unless you are quite mechanically inclined, it may be harder to tell.
You might want to have a mechanic examine the chair before you buy it.
If you are planning to buy a pre-owned wheel chair, you might look for one from a medical supply store that comes with a warranty of some sort.
However, most secondhand wheelchairs will not come with warranties.
If something goes wrong with the chair shortly after you buy it, you may just be out of luck.
Where to Find a Secondhand Wheelchair You can find secondhand wheelchairs at some medical supply stores.
Just get out your local phone book and start calling to see if the stores near you carry secondhand chairs.
You can also buy pre-owned wheelchairs from individuals who have chairs they don't use anymore for whatever reason.
You might find ads for chairs for sale in your local newspaper in the classified section.
You can find used wheelchairs for sale on eBay and Craigslist.
You might find a bulletin board in a medical supply store, a doctor's office, or a physical therapist's office with fliers advertising used chairs for sale.
How to Pay for a Secondhand Wheelchair If you have health insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid, they will likely pay for at least a portion of the cost of a wheelchair.
However, they may not pay for secondhand wheelchairs.
If they will cover a portion of the cost for a used chair, it will probably have to be purchased from a medical supply store.
They won't just send a check to Mr.
Jones down the street for his wife's old wheelchair.
Check with your insurance company to find out if they will help pay for a wheelchair, and if so, if it must be a new chair.
Depending on how much they will cover, you may find it is actually cheaper for you to get a new chair and have your insurance pay for part of it than to purchase a used chair on your own.
SHARE
