It’s no secret many government officials think medical expenses, more specifically, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, are exorbant (and they are), but when newbie Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill said we could save the government "hundreds of billions of dollars" by not "giving free scooters to Medicare beneficiaries who don't really need them,” as a way to help with the Recession, many people were appalled.
A friend sent me a link to a blog entry on MPR yesterday, which was written by Haddayr Copley-Woods, a disabled writer, blogger and mother from Minneapolis. She has MS and needs a manual wheelchair to fully live her life. The chair enables her to go to work everyday without calling-in, and of course, it helps with being a mom. Her entry, Insurance may pay for your wheelchair, unless you need it to go someplace, touched on Sen. McCaskill’s recent disappointing words, and why wheelchairs shouldn’t be viewed as unnecessary even if the person does just fine mobility-wise in their home. Aren’t we allowed actual, real lives too?
She describes her frustrating journey with getting her wheelchair approved and the ridiculous ways insurance companies decide if you need a wheelchair or not. According to Medicare, if you need a wheelchair to sleep, use the bathroom or eat, then you’re approved. But if you can get along in your house ok but not when you leave your house, you can forget about getting approved for a wheelchair.
As Copley-Woods succinctly writes, “Many people have equally legitimate needs for a wheelchair if they need to travel more than three feet or so. If they can reliably take a few steps inside their own homes, they don't qualify.” Not cool!
Medicare established this ridiculous disabled-people-don’t-leave-their-homes precedent years ago, and HMO’s followed suit. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s high time for these old-fashioned views re: needs of PWD to be overhauled. I’d suggest the President get on this, but you and I both know that’s a pipe dream and a half.
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