Seat Lifts and Patient Lifts (CPB 0459, reviewed 2026-07-16)
Aetna covers seat lift mechanisms as durable medical equipment only when the member cannot stand up from a regular armchair at home, has severe arthritis of the hip or knee or severe neuromuscular disease, the device is prescribed to effect improvement or arrest or slow deterioration, and the member can ambulate once standing. Stand-assist lifts, patient lifts, bariatric lifts, and multi-positional transfer systems are covered only when their own separate criteria are met, and spring-release seat lifts with a catapult-type motion are considered experimental, investigational, or unproven. the policy was last reviewed 07/16/2026.