SMA News Forums Forums Assistive Technology Columnist Writes About “Struggling To Acquire Medical Equipment”

  • deann-r

    Member
    June 27, 2019 at 10:04 am

    I think we can all relate to this. My dad purchased a motor for my wheelchair one time so I wouldn’t be out of commission for a month or more waiting on the process. My only advice is to work on getting things before you actually need it. Kind of difficult when you need to show need, but I jump on any indication I will need it. For example a PCA mentioned my shower chair felt a little wobbly. I have a doctor appointment Monday to get the script.

    I’ve been waiting over 6 months for a new bed overlay. What irks me is that the company has it but won’t release it because for some reason they’re not currently a provider for the state (even though they’ve previously released a more expensive item.) Of course I can’t go somewhere else because it’s already ordered or some bs like that. Again I could pay out of pocket, but why should I give them my money when they can’t get their act together. Guessing I’ll end up purchasing it somewhere else before I end up with a pressure sore.

    • ryan-berhar

      Member
      June 27, 2019 at 5:14 pm

      In my experience, as long as you still have the item, regardless of its condition, insurance often won’t cover it, as it’s viewed as a “duplicate”. It’s so stupid, because everything wears out and needs to be replaced eventually. Just like people need new shoes after walking in them every single day, our wheelchairs and other equipment wear out as well.

Log in to reply.