Like many Americans who are wheelchair users you may likely be faced with the fact that at some time you will be denied a wheelchair by Medicare, or maybe you already have been.
- Being part of the community may not be an option for Medicare wheelchair users.
- Medicare is creating "housebound" Americans.
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DENIED by Mark C. SullivanBack in the spotlight: in the home restriction
Many times the excuse that Medicare uses to deprive people of a powered wheelchair or scooter is based on the “in the home restriction”. This was obscure wording in their rules that Medicare never paid much attention to until they decided that they were spending too much money on wheelchairs, and on wheelchair users.
In the last few years this once little known and little used restriction has come into its own and is touching wheelchair users all over the country. More and more, Medicare is denying wheelchairs based on the fact that the need for the wheelchair is for use outside of the home.
What the restriction means is easy to understand once the funny language is peeled off and the core is exposed. If a person on Medicare needs a wheelchair for going distances to the store, doctors office, visiting family, the pharmacy, house of worship, or anyplace outside of the home they are in trouble. Medicare will buy a chair only for use in the home.
So, if a person can walk a little, push a manual wheelchair a short distance, or use a walker for a few steps to get to their kitchen or bathroom, that’s good enough for Medicare - No powered wheelchair or mobility scooter! The fact that a person can not get 50 feet down the street means nothing. It doesn’t count with Medicare since the need to leave the home to do things is something they will not consider in the formula.
It seems that Medicare is making an effort to destroy the independence and limit the freedom of many American wheelchair users. So far they are succeeding.
The preview of Mark C. Sullivan’s book “DENIED” gives some great insights and strategies on this topic.
Ziggi Landsman
VP Assistive Technology
United Spinal Association
www.unitedspinal.org
Medicare’s take on providing anything beyond “home use” is sad, discouraging and unbelievable. Life is about living beyond the confines of one’s own residence. We develop new products to increase the mobility of individuals in wheelchairs and I wish it was easier to offer these options to all.
I was denied a scooter just for the fact that I was going to use it outside. I can get around with my manual chair pretty well in the house. For trips to a mall or some where its flat concrete, for that I have a 3 wheel scooter that works well for that when I want to go out in the yard, or fishing, go to see my grand daughter play ball. the 3 wheel is useless and dangerous, it has turned over several times. So I am confined to the house for most of the time. And it sucks
I’m kinda interested in the subject too, so I hope you come out with more of the same stuff.