THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021 Page 15 Does Medicare Cover Mobility Scooters or Wheelchairs? Dear Savvy Senior, I have arthritis in my hips and knees and have a diffi cult time getting around anymore. What do I need to do to get a Medicarecovered electric-powered scooter or wheelchair? Need a Ride Dear Need, If you’re enrolled in original Medicare, getting an electricpowered mobility scooter or wheelchair that’s covered by Medicare starts with a visit to your doctor’s offi ce. If eligible, Medicare will pay 80 percent of the cost, after you’ve met your Part B deductible ($203 in 2021). You will be responsible for the remaining 20 percent unless you have supplemental insurance. Here’s a breakdown of how it works. Schedule an Appointment Your fi rst step is to call your doctor or primary care provider and schedule a Medicare required, face-to-face mobility evaluation to determine your need for a power scooter or wheelchair. For you to be eligible, you’ll need to meet all of the following conditions: • Your health condition makes moving around your home very diffi cult, even with the help of a cane, crutch, walker or manual wheelchair. • You have signifi cant problems performing activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, getting in or out of a bed or chair, or using the bathroom. • You are able to safely operate, and get on and off the scooter or wheelchair, or have someone with you who is always available to help you safely use the device. If eligible, your doctor will determine what kind of mobility equipment you’ll need based on your condition, usability in your home, and ability to operate it. It’s also important to know that Medicare coverage is dependent on your needing a scooter or wheelchair in your home. If your claim is based on needing it outside your home, it will be denied as not medically necessary, because the wheelchair or scooter will be considered a leisure item. Where to Buy If your doctor determines you need a power scooter or wheelchair, he or she will fi ll out a written order or prescription. Once you receive it, you’ll need to take it to a Medicare approved supplier within 45 days. To fi nd Medicare approved suppliers in your area, visit Medicare.gov/ medical-equipment-suppliers or call 800-633-4227. There are, however, circumstances where you may need “prior authorization” for certain types of power wheelchairs. In this case, you’ll need permission from Medicare before you can get one. Financial Aid If you have a Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policy, it may pick up some, or all of the 20 percent cost of the scooter or wheelchair that’s not covered by Medicare. If, however, you don’t have supplemental insurance, and can’t aff ord the 20 percent, you may be able to get help through Medicare Savings Programs. Call your local Medicaid offi ce for eligibility information. Or, if you fi nd that you’re not eligible for a Medicare covered scooter or wheelchair, and you can’t afford to purchase one, renting can be a much cheaper short-term solution. Talk to a supplier about this option. For more information about power mobility devices call Medicare at 800-633-4227 or visit Medicare.gov/coverage/ wheelchairs-scooters. Medicare Advantage If you happen to have a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO), you’ll need to call your plan to fi nd out the specific steps you need to take to get a power-wheelchair or scooter. Many Advantage plans have specific suppliers within the plan’s network they’ll require you to use. 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. Patriots shut down Belmont, 28-0 By Greg Phipps I f any team has a legitimate beef against the newly instituted state high school football playoff system, it’s the Revere Patriots. Coming off an unusual week in which they were idle, the six-win Patriots had nearly two weeks to accept their postseason slight and prepare to battle the Belmont Marauders last Thursday night at Harry Della Russo Stadium. Victory number seven came in convincing fashion as Revere shut down the Belmont off ense and scored four touchdowns to coast to a 28-0 win. The triumph left the Patriots with a 7-2 overall record heading into the annual Thanksgiving Day clash against Winthrop. Due to an apparent weakLANDFILL | FROM Page 1 pacity to last through the end of 2024 and that the company is interested in future expansion. “Obviously, we’d like to continue to use the site,” WIN Waste Innovations’ James Connolly told members of the Saugus Board of Health’s Wheelabrator Subcommittee. “It’s convenient and adjacent to the plant,” he said. Connolly also said the company has some concerns about the longterm environmental eff ects of trucking the ash off site and the rising fuel costs connected with that should the ash landfi ll be closed permanently after 2024. But Rep. Turco – whose 19th Suff olk House District includes part of Revere – said he now believes the landfi ll’s future days are now numbered. “Environmental Justice means nothing to the people of the North Shore so long as the Wheelabrator Saugus Ash Landfi ll continues to operate in an ACEC,” Turco said in a statement this week. “Commissioner Suuberg’s letter makes clear that the long overdue closure of the Saugus Ash Landfi ll is on the horizon,” he said. State Rep. Jessica Giannino (D-Revere), whose district includes Precincts 3 and 10 in Saugus, said the Suuberg letter is welcome news. “I am so excited for this important step forward for Environmental Justice in the ness in their schedule, the Patriots were not awarded a spot in the Div. 3 postseason fi eld of 16. They were ranked 18th after eight games despite having more wins than several other teams that made the tournament. The two Div. 3 semifi nal games scheduled for this Friday are Marblehead against Westfi eld in Shrewsbury and Billerica against North Attleboro in Quincy. The winners move on to the Div. 3 Super Bowl game in December. As for the Patriots, they took care of business against 4-6 Belmont. Davi Barreto rushed for two touchdowns and Dominic Giordano hauled in a touchdown pass from quarterback Anwar Marbouh. Revere was coming off a 21-6 road win over Lynn Classical two weeks earTown of Saugus and City of Revere,” Giannino said. “We have been waiting my whole lifetime for this progress,” she said. Stephanie Shalkoski, co-president of Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE), said her group was pleased with MassDEP Commissioner Suuberg’s letter. “DEP clearly shares our long-standing concern that any plans to increase the height of the ash landfill will endanger the Rumney Marsh ACEC,” Shalkoski said. Attorney Kirstie Pecci, director of the Conservation Law Foundation’s Zero Waste Project, declared that “State offi cials would be absolutely right to deny the expansion of this already massive, polluting landfi ll.” “No new landfills or expansions of landfi lls are allowed in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern,” Pecci said. “The Saugus Ash Landfi ll is in the middle of one of these areas, so it is not allowed to expand vertically. End of story.” Commissioner Suuberg mentioned in his letter that during conversations with the Wheelabrator plant operators and community members in 2018, “MassDEP was clear that additional vertical expansion was beyond the limits of the site assignment.” “Any future proposals for expansion would require a modifi - cation to the facility’s site assignment and approval from Masslier. The Patriots didn’t appear to suff er any rust after the twoweek layoff . Their losses came at home to Peabody (28-7) in the season opener and to Div. I powerhouse Everett (37-11). Next on the schedule is the traditional Thanksgiving battle against the Winthrop Vikings. The two teams did not play each other in last spring’s abbreviated season. Revere rolled to a 40-19 win in 2019. The location for this year’s Turkey Day contest has not yet been determined. Winthrop, now 5-5 on the year, made the Div. 6 playoff tournament and advanced to the quarterfinal round by trouncing South Hadley, 350, two weeks ago. The Vikings then lost a close 37-34 affair to Rockland in last weekend’s quarterfi nal game. DEP and the Saugus Board of Health,” Suuberg wrote. “As the landfi ll is located within an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), an expansion of the landfi ll (including vertical expansion) would need to meet the site suitability criteria in the Regulations with respect to the site assignment,” the commissioner said. But Suuberg added that it “fails to meet the necessary site suitability criteria to allow for expansion within the ACEC.” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian called Commissioner Suuberg’s letter “an early Christmas present for the residents of East Saugus and Revere.” “I would hope that the WIN or Wheelabrator subcommittee would now shift away from making a ‘more ash for cash’ deal and work towards making the incinerator meet the highest and best emission standards,” Manoogian said. “To continue to pursue an ‘ash for cash’ deal is now nothing more than a fool’s errand that is contradictory towards what is best for the public health and the environment as confi rmed by Commissioner Suuberg. I would further encourage WIN to take advantage of the zoning overlay provided by Saugus Town Meeting that would allow them to develop a solar farm on the soon to be closed ash landfi ll,” he said. 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