Thanks Mike! I hope you don't mind if I use your letter as a template? john -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:30 AM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] New 2006 medicare wheelchair codes
Here's the letter I sent to my federal legislators, CMS, The Sectretary of Health & Human Services, Bush, Cheney, Nancy Pelosi and many others in Nov, 2006. To Whom It May Concern: I was recently made aware that Medicare will only provide powered wheelchairs which suit the person’s needs inside his/her home. The phrase "in the home" was never intended to be defined as "inside the person's house." It was originally intended to mean "not in a hospital, extended care facility or other health institution." It was the CMS that interpretted it so narrowly that it has become their mantra when dissallowing power wheelchair requests. I am a double amputee quadriplegic and use a powered wheelchair. To say that this mandate appalls me is an understatement. Most powered wheelchairs that are only suited for indoor use are next to useless outside of the home. Since going outside at some times is a necessary activity, doing so in an underpowered chair only suited for indoor use would be dangerous, it might end up costing Medicare far more money due to accidents caused by unsafe use of such wheelchairs. Not to mention possible lawsuits that would eventually be filed. Then there are the thousands of jobs that could be lost because wheelchair manufacturers and distributors would be put out of business, resulting in lost tax revenue and higher unemployment expenses. Does Medicare really want disabled people to stay inside all of the time? Isn’t that discrimination against people with disabilities and, therefore, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Are we not allowed to venture outside for doctor appointments (something required to remain living in many cases), grocery shopping (another activity necessary to live), or just to enjoy going outside for a social activity (a vital activity for our mental health)? Are we to be condemned to a life inside our homes as if we were hermits? Back in the 1980’s, I was on several committees at my college that helped write the ADA and was proud to have been asked to participate in drafting that landmark legislation. I had no idea that in the future the federal government would be the entity that violated that act. It is unconscionable that a government agency that provides healthcare availability to the disabled would attempt to so blatantly violate an act of Congress. I’m requesting that this extreme restriction on the type of powered wheelchairs we can obtain through Medicare be changed. Being disabled and on Medicare should not mean we are relegated to being “out of sight, out of mind” as it seems this agency (Medicare) desires. I am only 56 years old and am not going to stay indoors the remainder of my life. This “wheelchair edict,” as I call it, is far too limiting and needs to be changed. That change needs to be made as soon as humanly possible. In an effort to extend Medicare coverage to wheelchairs that can go outside of the home, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced the Medicare Independent Living Act of 2006 (S. 3677). This legislation would eliminate the “in the home” restriction of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. S. 3677 was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the large amount of legislation which came before Congress, this legislation was unable to receive further consideration before the end of the 109th Congress. Please see that Mr. Bingaman's proposed legislation is reintroduced to the 110th Congress. This is of utmost importance as it affects both the physical and mental health of all persons needing powered wheelchairs. Please allow our doctors, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and wheelchair seating specialists determine which wheelchairs best suit our needs as far as comfort, power, safety and health are concerned. Don’t leave our ability to be mobile, safe and comfortable in the hands of a Medicare or Medicaid bureaucrat. People with disabilities struggle with many things. Don’t make them struggle to just move around. Respectfully, William Jenkins ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 10:18 PM Subject: [QUAD-L] New 2006 medicare wheelchair codes No sense in getting upset about new wheelchairs. We aren't allowed by medicare to have a wheelchair that goes outside. If y'all get a chance to read the new codes you may want to write some letters. It seems we must be taking all the cool parking places. http://www.wheelchairjunkie.com/2006pwcpolicy.html john Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
