My verdict? Its a start. But...
Thats a very short polite begging letter of about 2 paragraphs, that does not assess your needs or chair requirements at all. This POST is longer and more detailed. Mine was 25x as long, after spending several hours shortening it and condensing it to the essential bullet points. Adressed every need in detail, and suggested the solution, explained the tech reasons why x feature, and z need had to be addressed in each case. Making sure that I showed why the chair they suggested was not suitable and why. And supplied a list of chairs that met this requirement in each case. And only 1 chair that met them all, complete with specs, options, and a fillied in manufacturers prescription form. Leave them nowhere to go.
And it mine was not polite! And your "opinions" dont count. Only facts. No need to be rude. Logic offends them plenty good enough! For EG I never mentioned speed. They dont like that. You are offering them another get out excuse!!! But I did explain why I needed the torque for safe control, which meant 4 pole motors and high amp controller were essential. And I gave a detailed tech explanation to show why. And explained why a weak controller, and 2 pole motors, and a set of small batteries in that cheap solution they offered you will not work. And that means 6mph but dont actually say that... It will likely be PROGRAMMED down to 4 when you get it as they are terrified of giving you 6... And theres no budget!!! Dont say that. You are arming them for another get out escape route, which side are you on?
You can mention in a summary of your additional wants and holistic needs at the end after your clinical requirements are adressed, that you dont consider 4 mph is safe for a variety of reasons and give them, and that you cant transfer to a different chair yourself if you need food or to go to a bank or a doctor. So adequate safe and comfortable outdoor occasional use is absolutely essential. And explain why. And then explain that this is why the wheelchair budgets are being rolled out nationwide that many like me are already on since wheelchair services have failed for decades to provide adequate choice or solutions. So you can choose a chair that suits your needs.
That letter will achieve nothing as it is written. You are not writing to a freind. Quite the opposite. You are writing to someone trying not to spend any money on you if they can get away with it. You need a detailed tech assessement of your daily needs and requirenments on a one by one basis. Start at ardvark and end at xzylaphone. (I cant spell that!). Make a long detailed list. Then adress each point. Dont be polite. Thats the tool they use to make you comply...So you dont make waves. You need to make very big waves. Explain that what they offered is in no way suitable and if needed you will buy your own chair that does adress your needs, and sue them for the money very publically.
Blue Cross wouldn't cover a (personalized) shower chair ("that's just needed for hygiene, which isn't a medical necessity"), but the ufficio protesi people had a good laugh over the separation of hygiene from medical need, and covered it 100% - took all of 10 minutes in their office for that.
LROBBINS wrote:Of course your response is the same as the response of the (socialist) Italian National Health, but not that of the (capitalist) U.S. health insurance issuer.
cheers
Yep but, it's always socialism bad capitalism good, with BM.
To me it's socialism allows for more common sense while capitalism only counts DOLLARS & CENTS.
LROBBINS wrote:Informally, the Medicare coverage list provided the base rules for most private insurance. BUT, it left a lot of stuff uncovered that we would think is essential for PWD. Obamacare did set a formal basic standard and offers several specified extra-cost optional plans. It is not too far from what you describe, though it still leaves a lot of economic power in the hands of the insurance companies, and hospital administrators, and is still ham-strung by a law that says the government can not negotiate prices for drugs. Medicare, which is government health coverage for the elderly and some with disabilities, itself actually functions fairly well and is the ONLY program, government or private, that can get providers to actually tell them what their costs are. So, Medicare does not pay $75 for a hospital administrated acetiminophen pill, but a private insurer may have to negotiate down from there, and someone without insurance will be stuck with the full $75.
It's also not unusual that the co-pay for an insurance covered drug is actually more than what the person would pay buying it outright, but pharmacists are forbidden (it's actually illegal) to tell the client that it would be cheaper to pay cash.
US citizens also take medical tourism trips, so that is a useless argument.
Also the USA has never been able to claim TRUE CAPITALISM as the foundation of the economy. The USA does thrive with a system of economic and social slavery.
The United Corporation of America does have the greatest government money can buy.
Propaganda can make a pig's ear look silky smooth.
I was half way through a reply on why I don't consider myself a socialist then realised that I would rather see my taxes be used to save children's lives in an NHS hospital than bail out a dysfunctional capitalist banking system to the tune of almost £1tn. Don't know why but me helping a load of wealthy bankers out after they screwed the economy just doesn't feel right.
And one needs to be careful judging others who receive benefits, long term unemployed claiming sickness benefits could be seen by some as no different to 2nd./3rd generation unemployed. Maybe I am a paradox, disabled, have my own business, pay tax and NI and don't begrudge it being used on those less fortunate than me but don't want to see it used helping the wealthy. Hmm, maybe I am a socialist, shit it just sneaked up on me.
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