[QUAD-L] Fw: Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage
Title: Asclepios - Original Message - From: Asclepios/ MRC Advocacy To: William Jenkins Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 5:09 PM Subject: Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage Asclepios Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage September 7, 2006 Volume 6, Issue 36 Starting October 1, many people with Medicare who need a power wheelchair will be in trouble. Under new rules set to go into effect, people in need may only be able to get wheelchairs that are next to useless, and potentially dangerous, outside their homes. This is because the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to implement new standards for what kind of power wheelchairs to cover. It is a shift in policy that should be stopped. The new policy adds a cruel twist to an already skewed coverage policy for wheelchairs. CMS believes that Medicare should not cover a power wheelchair for someone who needs one outside the home but can get around inside their houses or apartments. This policy springs from a misreading of the law: most people who need a power wheelchair can make the case that they need it both at home and outside, so the CMS policy has had limited impact. Until now. Unless they require special seating, people needing a power wheelchair will only receive coverage for what many wheelchair users call a junk wheelchair, a device that has no ability to ride over even the smallest bump and has extremely limited battery power. Individuals who do need special seating may get coverage for a power wheelchair that has some capabilities outside the home. But only those with no capacity to stand and pivot from the wheelchair into bed can get coverage for a power wheelchair with the battery power and clearance capabilities many find essential to get around outside. This category of devices would be denied to many people living with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease) and other debilitating diseases. These coverage criteria are clinically unsound. There is no basis for using a stand and pivot test for determining coverage for a wheelchair that has added clearance. Worse, relegating scores of people with disabilities to junk wheelchairs and expressly denying them devices that would allow them to leave their homes is dangerousmany are bound to test the limits of these unsuitable wheelchairs. CMS does have a legitimate interest in ensuring that Medicare only covers power wheelchairs that are medically necessary and in stamping out fraud. But this new policy is not the way to do it. The policy should be put on hold until CMS can develop clinically sound criteria.Please tell Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to stop the local coverage determination from taking effect until the clinical aspects of this flawed policy are addressed. For the longer term, Congress needs to prevent CMS from using its outdated legal interpretation to deny people with Medicare access to mobility devices that will give them the independence and quality of life that is their right.Please write to ask your senator to cosponsor S. 3677, bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the in-the-home restriction. Medical Record Developing political and legal standards are consistent with medical opinion: the costs of isolation for people with disabilities can include poorer health outcomes and higher systematic health costs. Also, scientific evidence indicates that people who get inappropriate mobility devices given their needs develop secondary medical conditions. In light of technological advances that today make appropriate equipment available and community integration possible, CMS has a responsibility to update its interpretation of the Medicare statute (Forcing Isolation: Medicares In the Home Coverage Standard for Wheelchairs, Medicare Rights Center, March 16, 2004). Medicares new LCD [local coverage determination] will severely restrict access to appropriate devices for many of the 6 million beneficiaries with disabilities under the age of 65, as well as beneficiaries with disabilities over 65 years of age. These new coverage criteria are not based on functionality nor are they intended to meet the functional needs of beneficiaries. Rather, they are based on outdated standards that require individuals to be completely nonambulatory to receive an appropriate mobility device and will force many beneficiaries into inappropriate and low-functioning mobility devices (Medicare Issues New Rules for Power Mobility Device Benefit: From Bad to Worse,ITEM Coalition, September 2006). Wheelchairs make it possible for otherwise homebound individuals to have the freedom and opportunity to get around outside their homes, [U.S. Senator Jeff] Bingaman said. This bill allows people with disabilities to live independently in their community and I hope my colleagues in the
Re: [QUAD-L] assistance for a mobility van
Hi Dennis,There is assistance out there, but he will need to be the applicant for most of it. What are his plans? Spill your questions and we'll spread them around here, and maybe find some answers. Most of usaren'tdoctors, but we've all had experiences, so ask away.With Love, CtrlAltDel aka DaveC4/5 Complete - 30 Years PostTexas, USA dennis espinoza [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:hi everyone, my son has just recently got out of the rehabilitation hospital. He had a brake at c1-c2, c6-c7... they said he is more a c5-c6 complete .. his injury was in march 06. he is 23.. I have a question about mobility vans and if there is any type of help or grants thatsomeone could getto assist financiallyfor a van. we dont have the money to buy one outright at this time and its hard to see him staying home all the time. i am so full of questions. this is an elite group we joined. thank you very much for any info provided dennis [EMAIL PROTECTED]Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.
Re: [QUAD-L] unsubscribe
Hey, lady, you take care, and get back to the Quad-List. Stay strong.With Love, CtrlAltDel aka DaveC4/5 Complete - 30 Years PostTexas, USA[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Re: [QUAD-L] Re: Assistance for a mobility van
Keep your eyes open for used vans with wheelchair liftsI found my 1st van an old Dodge Ram for 500 bucks and all it needed was a new gas tank and a tune up---It got us by for about 4 years and then We found a newer Chevy Astro Mini Van with a rear end lift for Ten Thousand bucks It was a 1995 and only had 40,000 actual miles on it.my wife drives me around and it still runs well today, after 4 years of use.Always keep looking and perhabs run an ad ( needed used van with wheelchair lift ) and price you can afford..sooner or later you will find one. Dandennis espinoza [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Hello, well we are looking for a used van,"not for him to drive"but to take him to his therapy andto the doctor when needed, and to the park when needs to get out. This is the hardest thing that anyone should have to go through"as you all know". I cry everyday. but im just so glad he is still alive. Just a quick overview of what happend. My son was involved in a 2 car accident in he was in a coma with a brain injury and broke C1-C2 and C6-C7.. the doctors gave us no hope. He came out of his coma right after they were trying to make us make the decision.. he was on a ventilator for two months in ICU. They fused his neck from the base down to C-7 no movement at all..We then sent him to Craig Hospital in Denver Colorado on our own dime.. where he got thee best quality care available. they weened him off the vent,no more treich, and re-did his fused neck and tookthe hardeware out down to C-5 he has alot more neck movement now. he has movement with his right arm and can work his power chairwith a joy stick and feed himself at times. He is getting some feeling down his left arm now. His spirit is highand he is a fighter thank god. We pray for him everyday. we are saving money and having garage sales as fundraisers.But i was curious if there might be any foundations that help out with this sort of thing? i read all your post and have learned alot and am very very glad i found you...thank you and god bless Dennis [EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Hold your horses, Partner! You just might be buying the horses before you've seen the cart, kart or van. With a post injury of only 6 months, he is more interested in regaining his strength, stamina and his confidence. I'd wait atleast 3 years before you decide on a new van that may cost in excess of $43,000 dollars. Now if you are merely looking for a used transporter to haul him to physical therapy... that is one thing. But if you want to place him in the driver's seat at 6 months post-injury, I ask that you reconsider... at this time.Voc Rehab is one agency. But they won't consider him... or her for atleast 2 years post. Voc Rehab pays for the modifications, but not the base van.Tell us a little about your son and how he was injured. We will then have alot more credible info for you. Best Wishes W In a message dated 9/7/2006 4:14:12 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:hi everyone, my son has just recently got out of the rehabilitation hospital. He had a brake at c1-c2, c6-c7... they said he is more a c5-c6 complete .. his injury was in march 06. he is 23.. I have a question about mobility vans and if there is any type of help or grants thatsomeone could getto assist financiallyfor a van. we dont have the money to buy one outright at this time and its hard to see him staying home all the time. i am so full of questions. this is an elite group we joined. thank you very much for any info provided dennis [EMAIL PROTECTED]Do you Yahoo!?Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail.
[QUAD-L] Re: Assistance for a mobility van
Hello Dennis, Hope the best for you and when you got Family pulling for you as I read your second post to the List, I know you will beStrong like most of us that has fallin in your shoes now many Years ago. Questions are always good to ask sonever be shy in asking away. First I would enjoy being alive and knowing it wasn't your time to leave this World yet. I specially enjoyed reading that you are a Fighter and just being able to cope is gonna be rough but after reading those words, you are going to have it relatively good. Maybe even better than you think with your Mother there to help is Great!! . Whatever you do don't get used to watching the News, I've found it to be aterrible way to past time. Keep building on them muscles that weren't working before but, now as I also read they are coming back. Anyways I got to go now and take my weight shift, they are crucial to living a better Life in our condition. Take Care !! chetquad or cquad7Injured: 01/01/89Level: C-6 C-7 Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/5815 Best Regards, Chet Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.
Re: [QUAD-L] Re: Assistance for a mobility van
Dennis, You could check with the ALS Association Chapter in your area. I know your son doesn't have ALS but many many families advertise selling their vans through their local Chapters (ALS has a very high mortality). My local Chapter advertises 6-8 vans every month. You can find the Chapter in your area here - http://www.alsa.org/. I hope this helps. Sandy
Re: [QUAD-L] Fw: Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage
This is outrages! Medicare has never put out the money for the power chair needed by the patient before, and now they want to make cuts to that funding. I will call my Representativess and Senators, and tell them to save an American's before an illegal's payment. We have Kinky Friedman running on our Gubernatorial Ballot here in Texas, and he isn't the clown a lot take him for! Could be some big changes in store for TX.With Love, CtrlAltDel aka DaveC4/5 Complete - 30 Years PostTexas, USA Bill_J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: - Original Message - From: Asclepios/ MRC Advocacy To: William Jenkins Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 5:09 PM Subject: Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage Asclepios Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update Stop Downgrading Wheelchair Coverage September 7, 2006 Volume 6, Issue 36 Starting October 1, many people with Medicare who need a power wheelchair will be in trouble. Under new rules set to go into effect, people in need may only be able to get wheelchairs that are next to useless, and potentially dangerous, outside their homes. This is because the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to implement new standards for what kind of power wheelchairs to cover. It is a shift in policy that should be stopped. The new policy adds a cruel twist to an already skewed coverage policy for wheelchairs. CMS believes that Medicare should not cover a power wheelchair for someone who needs one outside the home but can get around inside their houses or apartments. This policy springs from a misreading of the law: most people who need a power wheelchair can make the case that they need it both at home and outside, so the CMS policy has had limited impact. Until now. Unless they require special seating, people needing a power wheelchair will only receive coverage for what many wheelchair users call a junk wheelchair, a device that has no ability to ride over even the smallest bump and has extremely limited battery power. Individuals who do need special seating may get coverage for a power wheelchair that has some capabilities outside the home. But only those with no capacity to stand and pivot from the wheelchair into bed can get coverage for a power wheelchair with the battery power and clearance capabilities many find essential to get around outside. This category of devices would be denied to many people living with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease) and other debilitating diseases. These coverage criteria are clinically unsound. There is no basis for using a stand and pivot test for determining coverage for a wheelchair that has added clearance. Worse, relegating scores of people with disabilities to junk wheelchairs and expressly denying them devices that would allow them to leave their homes is dangerousmany are bound to test the limits of these unsuitable wheelchairs. CMS does have a legitimate interest in ensuring that Medicare only covers power wheelchairs that are medically necessary and in stamping out fraud. But this new policy is not the way to do it. The policy should be put on hold until CMS can develop clinically sound criteria.Please tell Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to stop the local coverage determination from taking effect until the clinical aspects of this flawed policy are addressed. For the longer term, Congress needs to prevent CMS from using its outdated legal interpretation to deny people with Medicare access to mobility devices that will give them the independence and quality of life that is their right.Please write to ask your senator to cosponsor S. 3677, bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the in-the-home restriction. Medical Record Developing political and legal standards are consistent with medical opinion: the costs of isolation for people with disabilities can include poorer health outcomes and higher systematic health costs. Also, scientific evidence indicates that people who get inappropriate mobility devices given their needs develop secondary medical conditions. In light of technological advances that today make appropriate equipment available and community integration possible, CMS has a responsibility to update its interpretation of the Medicare statute (Forcing Isolation: Medicares In the Home Coverage Standard for Wheelchairs, Medicare Rights Center, March 16, 2004). Medicares new LCD [local coverage determination] will severely restrict access to appropriate devices for many of the 6 million beneficiaries with disabilities under the age of 65, as well as beneficiaries with disabilities over 65 years of age. These new coverage criteria are not based on functionality nor are they intended to meet the functional needs of beneficiaries. Rather, they are based on outdated standards that require individuals to be completely nonambulatory to receive an appropriate mobility device and
[QUAD-L] Need a Laugh? Read These !!!
Its a Man Thang !! *LOL*Q1. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH 365 USED CONDOMS? A: Melt them down, make a tire, and call it a Goodyear.Q2. WHY ARE HURRICANES NORMALLY NAMED AFTER WOMEN? A: Because when they come, they're wild and wet. But when they go, they take your house and car with them.If I have a twisted sence of Humor? All Comments are Welcomed.chetquad or cquad7Injured: 01/01/89Level: C-6 C-7 Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/5815 Best Regards, Chet Get your email and more, right on the new Yahoo.com
Re: [QUAD-L] Myspace.com
http://www.myspace.com/rollin_on Mark Jackson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe to RollinOn Powered bygroups.yahoo.com ---Original Message--- From: ~LittleQuad~ Date: 09/06/06 16:50:09 To: Quad-list post Subject: [QUAD-L] Myspace.com Hey gang, do you have a space??? if so add me!!! http://www.myspace.com/littlequad
Re: [QUAD-L] Test
In a message dated 9/5/06 10:14:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: In a message dated 9/5/2006 6:50:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: This is a test to see if I am subscribed to the list through Comcast since Comcast has been blocking my quad e-mails. oops.fine here! ...I receiving it. Rhonda
Re: [QUAD-L] Re: Assistance for a mobility van
here's what i did - and yes the prices are outrageous. http://www.users.qwest.net/~daveoc/dv/htgavtd.html possibly you can do better without the lowered floor, raised roof, or driving controls. my 1st car was a 2 door coupe. O'C best of luck. try the newspapers for used ones. In a message dated 9/8/2006 11:20:57 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Keep your eyes open for used vans with wheelchair liftsI found my 1st van an old Dodge Ram for 500 bucks and all it needed was a new gas tank and a tune up---It got us by for about 4 years and then We found a newer Chevy Astro Mini Van with a rear end lift for Ten Thousand bucks It was a 1995 and only had 40,000 actual miles on it.my wife drives me around and it still runs well today, after 4 years of use.Always keep looking and perhabs run an ad ( needed used van with wheelchair lift ) and price you can afford..sooner or later you will find one. Dandennis espinoza [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, well we are looking for a used van,"not for him to drive"but to take him to his therapy andto the doctor when needed, and to the park when needs to get out. This is the hardest thing that anyone should have to go through"as you all know". I cry everyday. but im just so glad he is still alive. Just a quick overview of what happend. My son was involved in a 2 car accident in he was in a coma with a brain injury and broke C1-C2 and C6-C7.. the doctors gave us no hope. He came out of his coma right after they were trying to make us make the decision.. he was on a ventilator for two months in ICU. They fused his neck from the base down to C-7 no movement at all..We then sent him to Craig Hospital in Denver Colorado on our own dime.. where he got thee best quality care available. they weened him off the vent,no more treich, and re-did his fused neck and tookthe hardeware out down to C-5 he has alot more neck movement now. he has movement with his right arm and can work his power chairwith a joy stick and feed himself at times. He is getting some feeling down his left arm now. His spirit is highand he is a fighter thank god. We pray for him everyday. we are saving money and having garage sales as fundraisers.But i was curious if there might be any foundations that help out with this sort of thing? i read all your post and have learned alot and am very very glad i found you... thank you and god bless Dennis [EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hold your horses, Partner! You just might be buying the horses before you've seen the cart, kart or van. With a post injury of only 6 months, he is more interested in regaining his strength, stamina and his confidence. I'd wait atleast 3 years before you decide on a new van that may cost in excess of $43,000 dollars. Now if you are merely looking for a used transporter to haul him to physical therapy... that is one thing. But if you want to place him in the driver's seat at 6 months post-injury, I ask that you reconsider... at this time. Voc Rehab is one agency. But they won't consider him... or her for atleast 2 years post. Voc Rehab pays for the modifications, but not the base van. Tell us a little about your son and how he was injured. We will then have alot more credible info for you. Best Wishes W In a message dated 9/7/2006 4:14:12 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: hi everyone, my son has just recently got out of the rehabilitation hospital. He had a brake at c1-c2, c6-c7... they said he is more a c5-c6 complete .. his injury was in march 06. he is 23.. I have a question about mobility vans and if there is any type of help or grants thatsomeone could getto assist financiallyfor a van. we dont have the money to buy one outright at this time and its hard to see him staying home all the time. i am so full of questions. this is an elite group we joined. thank you very much for any info provided dennis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Do you Yahoo!?Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail. Dave daveoconnell.com C3
