Who pays for your wheelchair? IV (invalidity insurance), AHV (old-age and survivors insurance) and health insurance in Switzerland
Health insurance, IV, AHV or accident insurance: find out who pays for your wheelchair, what contributions apply and how to apply.
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Need a wheelchair and want to know who pays for it? In Switzerland, this depends on factors such as why you need it, how long you're likely to use it and the support you've already received. Check these points with the relevant office or insurer before buying or signing a rental agreement.
As of September 2026. This guide is based on the FOPH's MiGeL (Mittel- und Gegenständeliste, or list of medical aids and devices) of 1 July 2026, current circulars from the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) and the official AHV/IV information leaflets. It gives adults general guidance, does not replace individual legal advice and does not guarantee that costs will be covered.
Who pays for a wheelchair in Switzerland?
The table below shows you who to contact first. How long you're likely to use the wheelchair and any previous support also matter.
Your situation
First point of contact
What to check
Consequences of an accident covered under the Federal Act on Accident Insurance or a recognised occupational disease
Your accident insurer
Link to the injury or illness and the equipment you need
Long-term need before the normal retirement age (reference age)
IV office in your canton of residence
Entitlement to aids; different rules apply if you draw your full AHV pension early
New wheelchair provision under AHV
IV office or the relevant compensation office
AHV requirements, lump-sum contribution and where to apply
You already receive IV support and are moving to AHV
IV office, with your previous decision
Check whether your previous IV benefits can continue
You only need a wheelchair for a few weeks
Your treatment team and, where applicable, your accident insurer
Suitable temporary solution and funding
Recognised costs remain uncovered
Supplementary benefits (EL) office; your insurer if you have supplementary insurance
Cantonal EL rules or cover under your policy
For aids, Article 65 of the Federal Act on the General Part of Social Insurance Law sets an order: military or accident insurance, then IV or AHV, then health insurance. Each insurer only pays if its own legal requirements are met. An IV refusal does not automatically make your health insurer responsible for payment.
If an accident is covered, your accident insurer can assess a simple, appropriate wheelchair solution. Report your needs using your claim number. Suva explains the benefits after accidents and occupational diseases; another insurer under the Federal Act on Accident Insurance may be responsible.
Does health insurance pay for a wheelchair?
Compulsory basic health insurance reimburses medical aids and devices under the MiGeL rules. The version reviewed has no entry for buying or renting a wheelchair. A medical prescription cannot create a missing entry in the list. The blanket claim of "90 percent coverage" sometimes mentioned therefore cannot be inferred from these rules for wheelchairs.
This is about a wheelchair you obtain yourself for everyday use. Aids a hospital uses as part of treatment fall under different tariff rules. Funding for treatment is therefore separate from reimbursement for your private wheelchair purchase. The FOPH list of medical aids and devices explains the distinction.
Supplementary insurance may offer other benefits. What matters is your policy and its terms and conditions. Ask specifically about buying or renting, the amount covered, the documents needed and approval in advance. Supplementary insurance is voluntary and has its own acceptance criteria. It is not a guaranteed solution you can take out later for a need you already know about.
When might IV cover a wheelchair?
IV assesses whether to provide a simple, appropriate and cost-effective solution. Wheelchairs can help you move around, stay in contact with others or look after yourself. You don't have to use the wheelchair for work to qualify.
As a rule, you must be expected to use it for at least one year. This is a forecast, not a one-year waiting period. The IV guidelines on aids set out exceptions, including certain shorter rehabilitation measures or a shorter predicted life expectancy. An ordinary short-term need after surgery therefore isn't enough on its own.
How are the model and supply route chosen?
There needs to be a clear medical justification. The provider explains the wheelchair category and the options you need because of your disability. Before requesting approval to cover the costs, they check whether a suitable wheelchair is available from an IV depot.
IV generally supplies wheelchairs on loan. A wheelchair from a depot may be refurbished and adapted to suit you. "On loan" means the aid isn't simply yours to keep. Check the return arrangements and what happens to it when you no longer need it.
An electric wheelchair has additional requirements: you cannot use a standard wheelchair and can only move around independently with electric power.
What happens when you move to AHV?
Your IV entitlement to aids generally ends when you start drawing your full AHV old-age pension early. It ends at the latest at the end of the month in which you reach the reference age. If you only draw part of your pension early, IV remains responsible until then. Let the office know about any plans to draw your pension early when it assesses your case.
If you were already granted IV aids or corresponding substitute benefits, your existing rights may be protected. This means your previous IV benefits can continue in the same type and scope. You must live in Switzerland and still meet the IV requirements. This protection can also include repairs. Keep your previous decision.
How much can AHV contribute towards a wheelchair?
The standard AHV rule covers non-motorised wheelchairs. You must be expected to need one permanently and constantly to move around. You also need to meet the personal AHV requirements, including living in Switzerland and, as a rule, reaching the reference age or drawing your full old-age pension early. Special rules apply to certain people receiving supplementary benefits.
Equipment if you qualify
AHV lump-sum contribution
Simple non-motorised wheelchair
CHF 900
Specialised equipment needed because of a disability
CHF 1’840
Specialised equipment with an additional pressure-relief cushion needed because of an acute risk of pressure sores
CHF 2’200
What does this mean for your purchase?
The table gives price examples, not models approved for your case. To receive CHF 900, you need a recognised entitlement to a simple AHV wheelchair outside a residential care home. Check which model meets your needs.
According to the AHV circular, you receive the lump sum in full if you qualify. This also applies if the wheelchair costs less than CHF 900. You must still need it permanently and constantly. Submit the purchase receipt for the new wheelchair with your application or the invoice.
The lump sums cannot be added together. You can claim a contribution at most once every five years. You need to apply again for any further wheelchair provision. There is no automatic payment after five years.
When does the higher lump sum apply?
Specialised equipment doesn't just mean a more expensive or more comfortable wheelchair. You must be unable to move around with a simple model. At least one of the following criteria must also apply:
Body weight over 120 kg or height over 185 cm or under 150 cm.
You cannot sit without support, for example because you lack trunk control.
Hemiplegia or hemiparesis, meaning paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.
Tetraplegia or tetraparesis, meaning paralysis or weakness in all four limbs.
Amputation or contractures, meaning lasting restrictions in joint movement.
A doctor or healthcare professional must explain the need on the prescribed form. Only recognised suppliers under the wheelchair tariff agreement or IV depots may supply specialised equipment. Buying a seat cushion separately does not entitle you to CHF 2’200.
Under the standard AHV rules, no costs beyond the lump sum are covered, including repairs. Any protection of existing IV rights needs to be assessed separately.
What if you live in a residential care home or only need a wheelchair temporarily?
During a stay in a residential care home, there is no standard AHV contribution for a simple wheelchair. Specialised equipment may be possible if the need is demonstrated. You must depend on it permanently to move around. You must also not receive a helplessness allowance for severe helplessness. This is a cash benefit for people who need lasting help in everyday life. Nursing wheelchairs are expressly excluded from specialised equipment.
AHV also excludes the standard contribution if you are expected to stay in hospital for a longer period. The same applies if you only need a wheelchair temporarily during an acute illness or after an accident. A wheelchair used only for occasional longer outings doesn't meet the requirements either. These exclusions are set out in the AHV circular.
Discuss wheelchair provision in a residential care home with the facility and the relevant office. If your existing IV rights are already protected, let them know.
How do you apply?
Describe your needs. Note when you started needing the wheelchair, what you need it for and how long you expect to use it. Have any previous approvals and, where relevant, your accident claim number ready.
Arrange a medical and technical assessment. Have your needs and any necessary adaptations explained. A medical prescription is part of the process for getting a wheelchair through IV. For a simple AHV wheelchair outside a residential care home, confirmation from a person or organisation named in the application form is usually enough.
Check where to submit your application. Your canton's IV office handles IV applications. AHV information leaflet 3.02 also lists the IV office as the contact point. The AHV procedural rules provide for submission through the compensation office responsible for your pension, which forwards the application to the IV office. Ask which submission route applies locally.
Check the documents and supplier. For AHV, you need to submit the purchase receipt for the new wheelchair or the rental agreement with your application or the invoice. Check the requirements beforehand. For specialised equipment, you also need to use a recognised supplier.
Keep the decision and documents. Check what has been approved and what costs are left for you to pay. Keep your application, medical justification, approval and receipts. If your application is refused, follow the instructions on how to appeal and get advice if needed.
Checking in advance helps you assess the financial risk. It doesn't mean every AHV application has to be approved before you buy.
Is renting worthwhile instead of buying?
Renting can make sense for short-term use. Compare the total costs over the time you expect to need the wheelchair: rental, adaptation, delivery, collection and any other fees. Check what happens if you need it for longer. A rental agreement does not create an insurance entitlement that wouldn't exist if you bought the wheelchair.
AHV accepts a rental agreement as supporting evidence. You still need to meet its requirements for permanent and constant need. Renting does not give you an extra monthly payment on top of the lump sum. Under IV, borrowing a wheelchair from a depot is different from arranging a private rental.
A specific IV rule covers a temporary solution while your wheelchair is being repaired. Rental costs can be considered if you have only one manual wheelchair and the repair can't be done on site. The repair must be completed as quickly as possible, and the time needed must be justified. Check this option in advance. The IV guidelines on aids describe this possibility.
Who helps if costs remain uncovered?
Supplementary benefits can also cover illness and disability costs if the legal and cantonal requirements are met. This includes aids. Ask your EL office specifically about uncovered purchase, rental or repair costs and which documents you need. Costs already paid by an insurer are not reimbursed again. The information leaflet on supplementary benefits explains the framework.
The cantons define which costs can be reimbursed in more detail. This means there is no single rule across Switzerland for costs left over. Even if you don't receive annual EL, an assessment may be worthwhile if an income surplus is the only reason you don't qualify. In that case, the assessment concerns recognised costs above that surplus. The other eligibility requirements still apply.
You can also contact Pro Infirmis or, for AHV cases, Pro Senectute. Depending on your situation, they may assess whether support for aids is possible. You have no enforceable entitlement to these additional benefits.
Frequently asked questions about wheelchair funding
No. Under AHV, five years is the earliest interval for another lump-sum contribution, not an automatic replacement. You must also apply for any subsequent wheelchair, and your application will be assessed. This AHV interval is not a general replacement rule for IV.
IV entitlement usually covers one wheelchair. If you need a second, there must be a detailed explanation of why it is necessary.
The standard list covers non-motorised wheelchairs. Any protection of existing IV rights or a contribution under the right to a substitute benefit needs a separate assessment. This right means an alternative solution for the same already recognised purpose of the aid. It does not promise full funding for an electric model.
No. The price doesn't replace the personal requirements or proof of permanent and constant need. To receive the full AHV lump sum, you need a recognised entitlement and the required documents.
Ask which requirement you haven't met and whether you can provide further documents. Follow the procedure and deadlines in your decision. Any other insurer will assess your entitlement under its own rules.
For your own funding, contact the relevant IV office, compensation office, accident insurer or EL office. Our guides to wheelchair types and measuring for a wheelchair can help you choose a model. You can compare models in the wheelchairs category.
