I obtained my first wheelchair (Permobil C500s VS, comparable to a Permobil F5) via private insurance in the first few months after I quit working.
I currently have Medicare as primary insurance with private insurance as secondary (not a supplemental policy...a full up policy that keeps my wife covered).
I am in the process of getting an F5 approved by insurance. We are still in the process, so I don't know what the final outcome will be. Medicare has agreed to fund the basic wheelchair along with power tilt, recline, and legs. The agreed to fund upgraded support items like headrest, thoracic supports, and roho seating.
Medicare has denied the standing functionality, power seat elevate, lights, arm supports, phone holder, and USB charger. My secondary insurance (private) says they should cover many of those things for me. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get the funding department at NuMotion to submit a preauthorization request to the private insurance company.
For my Permobil C500s VS, private insurance paid for power tilt, recline, and legs, along with the standing feature, lights, and many support pieces (headrest, thigh supports, thoracic support, etc. I had to pay for power seat elevate and a cup holder (plus normal out of pocket expenses like deductible, etc.).
In summary, I don't think you will be able to know what insurance will pay for until you actually apply. Whether or not Medicare is primary or secondary depends (I have been told) on the size of your employer. Sorting out who will pay what may be a long and tortuous process. In the end, you may not know until after the wheelchair is delivered.
That is a reason I recommend to everyone that they start the wheelchair acquisition process early. My first one took 4 months. I am now 4 months into the process for my second wheelchair and we have not yet cleared the insurance hurdle. Once that happens, we are probably still a month away.
I will add that it is a good idea to have access to a backup wheelchair. This might come from the loaner closet or you might decide to buy a used wheelchair yourself. Used wheelchairs can be surprising inexpensive...rarely more than the total out of pocket costs encountered during the initial purchase.
I have bought two wheelchairs for under $1,000 each and a really good C500 for under $4,000. All had very low miles (< 100, 36, and 26, respectively). Each took about $1,000 of extra parts to get them to fit me and work just the way I wanted. I would not want to give any of them up!
Steve