Buy a rollator: costs, prescription and reimbursement
If you have difficulty standing safely on your feet, a rollator can be a great help. To buy a rollator, you should first visit your GP to get a prescription. In this article, you will learn how to get a prescription, which costs are covered by your health insurance and what you should look out for when buying one.
How to get a prescription for a walker
If you feel unsteady on your feet and need a walker, it is best to contact your family doctor. If he sees the need for a corresponding prescription, he will issue you a prescription for the rollator. It is not necessary to have a level of care to receive a prescription.
Approval of the rollator and assumption of costs
The prescription must be submitted to the medical supply store in order to have the aid approved. If your health insurance company covers the costs, you will receive a simple basic model for a certain amount on loan for a few years from a medical supply store of your choice. The prescription must then be renewed. Advice and maintenance are included. The basic model is usually heavy and simple. Color and size selection is not possible. Although the handle height can usually be adjusted, the seat height and the distance between the handles are fixed. The fixed amount that health insurance companies grant for a rollator cannot be quantified in general terms, as the health insurance companies conclude regional contracts with service providers and these are structured very differently. As a rule, this simple checkout rollator is the cheapest model from the manufacturer. It is available privately for 40 to 60 euros.
Costs for higher-quality rollators, additional payment model
If you choose a higher quality rollator, you will pay the difference to the fixed amount out of your own pocket. You must clarify in advance with your health insurance company and the medical supply store whether the rollator becomes your property or remains the property of the medical supply store. Surprisingly, a higher quality walker with a prescription can be more expensive than purchasing it privately without a prescription. This is because there is price competition among rollator providers. In many cases, the prices of rollators with a prescription are not listed on an open space like the Internet, so the prices are difficult to compare, unlike rollators purchased privately without a prescription. While this doesn't apply to everyone, it's better to keep this in mind. "Purchasing a rollator privately without a prescription can be cheaper than with a prescription"
The coverage of costs by health insurance varies. However, they may be similar to the price of a rollator cash register model without a prescription, which is between 40 and 60 euros. That's actually not much if you buy a high-quality rollator. Premium rollator providers offer various seasonal promotions and discounts. Gorilla Gesund, for example, offers free accessories that are worth more than you would save on a prescription.
Some health insurance companies cover the costs of higher-quality rollators if they are medically necessary and the basic model is not sufficient. However, it is important to clarify with your health insurance company before purchasing what costs will be covered and what conditions must be met. Some health insurance companies also require an additional payment of 10 percent of the purchase price, which the customer must cover himself.
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Types of walkers
Rollators or walking aids are now a normal part of everyday life for many older people. Mobile walking aids are constantly evolving and today there are many different models with different materials and individual properties.
Carbon Rollator
Carbon rollators truly form a class of their own among walking aids. The most striking feature of these devices is their significantly lower weight than standard rollators.
Lightweight Rollator
These rollators are designed from the start with lightness in mind. Lightweight rollators lose up to 50% of the weight compared to their standard models.
2 in 1 Rollator & Wheelchair
Rollators with a wheelchair function are particularly suitable for people who need support for shorter distances but prefer to cover longer distances while sitting.
Indoor Rollator
An indoor rollator is specifically designed for indoor use, e.g. B. in an apartment. This is why it is sometimes also referred to as an apartment walker or house walker.
Outdoor Rollator
All-terrain or outdoor rollators are a particularly robust version of rollators. Often equipped with soft or pneumatic tires, they are particularly suitable for off-road use.
shopping walker
Shopping rollators combine a rollator and shopping trolley, with bags that can carry 20 kg and have a volume of 25L. They have a seat and ensure safety when walking.
What you should pay attention to when buying
When buying a rollator, you should make sure that it fits your height and mobility. A rollator that is too low or too high can lead to poor posture and pain. A rollator should also be stable and have good suspension to absorb shocks. If you frequently use the rollator outdoors, you should look for robust wheels that run stably on various surfaces. A good rollator should also be easy to use and have useful features such as a handbrake and a shopping bag.
In summary, a walker can be a great help in staying safely on your feet. In order to buy a rollator, you need a prescription from your family doctor. The costs are covered by the health insurance company if the basic model is sufficient. If you choose a higher quality walker, you may have to pay the difference yourself. When purchasing, you should pay attention to a good fit, stability and useful functions.
Our tip: Ask your doctor to prescribe a lightweight rollator for you. The extent to which this affects the amount of reimbursement depends on the respective health insurance company. Find out more!
Prof. Dr. med. Ingo Füsgen, head of the medical geriatric focus at Marienhospital Bottrop, geriatrics at the University of Witten/Herdecke: “The aim of occupational therapy is to maintain and promote physical mobility and coordination as well as to improve gait security and balance. As part of occupational therapy, seniors learn to use the rollator correctly. This form of self-help is important to avoid falls!”
If you purchase a rollator at your own expense, you have the advantage of being able to choose a model that exactly matches your medical condition as well as your wishes and requirements. Just as you are happy to spend a little more on glasses or other devices and items that serve your personal health and safety, it is of course also worth paying attention to quality when it comes to the rollator.
Our tip:Ask your doctor to prescribe some occupational therapy treatments. Many doctors don't know that when they prescribe a walker as an aid, they can also prescribe occupational therapy. Because practice makes perfect: In occupational therapy you will learn the sequence of movements in order to be able to use a rollator correctly.
