Wheelchair update: a rant

[mariness]

So on Monday morning I contacted the sole "wheelchair supplier" authorized by Cigna and ordered a wheelchair, even though as it turns out they do not actually supply wheelchairs; they verify the claims/prescriptions for wheelchairs and then contract a supplier to send the actual wheelchair. I was informed that I would hear from them within 48 hours. I was pretty skeptical.



Understand something: I do not want this wheelchair. I have fought against the necessity of getting this wheelchair, and only finally agreed to get one after a particularly bad fall in September that made it even more difficult to walk for several days and where there was a question of potential knee surgery and after months of having close friends talk me through this. I hate the entire concept of being in a wheelchair. (I hope I'm not offending anyone; if I am, I'm really sorry, and I'm very aware that I have issues here that I need to work through.)

So we are talking about going through the process of something that I need but do not want. The second thing is that I'm lucky: I'm not rich but I do have cash on hand to buy an ultralight folding wheelchairs - not a top of the line model but one that would work. The third thing is that I'm not married and depend on several people to drive me around so one of those platforms for cars to carry a wheelchair is just not practical.

Anyway.

So yesterday morning I called to find out what was going on. The woman who answered said that she didn't know why this was taking longer than 48 hours but she would check and call me right back. Naturally, she didn't. I called again in the afternoon, to be told that my request was still being processed and I needed to understand that they were handling lots of other people besides me and it would take time. "How much time?" I asked. "I don't know." "Can you at least give me an estimate?" "I really don't know."

I explained to her that without the wheelchair I was FALLING and injuring myself. Her exact words:

"Well, that's fine, but we still have to go through the process."

No, it's NOT FINE. It's not at all fine.

So I called Cigna again. They tried to give me the same names that already hadn't worked, then agreed to call CareCentrix again to find out what the issue is. CareCentrix repeated, to me and to the Cigna rep that they had to go through the process, and then gave me the real news: it will take another two weeks to process my claim (something I feel Cigna, not CareCentrix, should be doing) and then since we will be working with a provider in Miami (!) another few days for that provider to come because they won't make a trip for just one person so it has to be scheduled with other people and then it will take at least another 30 days to deliver the wheelchair. In the meantime, if this was a problem for me, I should feel free to buy a standard wheelchair on my own and if there was a transport problem add a lift to the car. (See above! Lift=not practical! Ignoring the problem that I can't push a standard wheelchair on my own! And why do you need a lift for a regular wheelchair anyway? Aren't those for power wheelchairs or am I showing my ignorance here?)

To her credit, the Cigna rep choked right along with me. "30 more days?"

"That depends upon the delivery service they choose. It may take longer."

"Why didn't you tell me this WHEN I INITIALLY CALLED?"

"Well, we have a process. And we need to go through the process."

The Cigna rep apologized. Meanwhile, I'm torn between just cancelling the entire thing and buying one on my own versus waiting for this stupid process. Especially since I'm becoming grimly convinced that they will deny the request, even with medical documentation from my personal physician, the clinic that treated me after my fall, and the Mayo Clinic showing the necessity.

Unquestionably, though, once it becomes practical, I'll be buying the power wheelchair on my own.

Comments

[the_jack]

If you do wind up buying your own chair, I highly recommend one of Quickie's folding power chairs. Mine's batteries just finally died on me after five years -- and that was after the original owner had the same batteries for two years before me, despite the fact that the batteries are only rated for two years. I'm mulling whether to replace the batteries or the chair, though leaning toward the latter, mainly because I took that poor chair all over the country, on plains and trains and the trunks of taxicabs, and it really is nearly due to just be retired. It's scruffy, but if it weren't for the batteries going I could still take it all over Manhattan -- or all over my CT hometown where sidewalk maintenance and repair get addressed years late if ever. Don't think it's going to be flimsy or rickety because it can be folded up. It can even roll right through a 3-4 inch depth of running water (though I wouldn't recommend trying to go much more than 3-4" width of water that deep; I only chanced it that time because there was a sudden flash flood and I pretty much had to.)

The model I have is a P210, but they change model numbers every year or 3, and you probably want a never version. Advantages of the folding models include ease of finding a place to attach tie-down straps (which is necessary in paratransit and medical transportation vehicles and also most buses), compatibility with standard wheelchair accessories, and of course the option to take the velcro-attached seat cushion off, lift (or have someone else lift) the batteries & battery tray out, and fold the chair up -- mainly but crucially useful when the only transportation option is a sedan.

Unless you really truly need one of the chairs with the tall, padded seats, I recommend against them; they may look cool, but they're rarely as convenient in practice, but are frequently foisted onto first-time wheelchair users (even though they're more expensive!) by manufacturers, providers and even insurers.

I highly recommend you insist that someone bring several models for you to try out so they can see which chair actually fits YOU -- and you may need to get their agreement to do this in writing. One poor woman in my building had to give her chair away because the idiot insurance company paid for a chair rated for a 350lb person even though she's under 5' and really needed a "child"-sized chair. (Unfortunately for adult little people, that is the industry term.) She literally could not use the chair because she slid all over the seat and couldn't reach the controls safely. Most people don't get that lousy a fit, but wheelchairs are NOT NOT NOT one-size-fits-all.

Also, I have to specifically warn you away from a Jazzy brand chair unless that's the only brand Cigna will cover *AND* you have it in writing that they'll also cover both parts and labour for repairs. The place that does all the work on my chair won't work on Jazzy chairs both because they break down ridiculously often and seriously even when essentially brand new and because dealing with the manufacturer to get the parts is ridiculously difficult. (The only other brand they don't do is Hoverounds, and that's just because HR doesn't let anyone but their own people service their chairs, so it's not that they just want me to use the brand or brands they sell or get kickbacks from or something.)

Like I said, I bought my chair used, for all of $600. Since some people's insurance covers a new power chair every couple of years, there's often a healthy second-hand market. Sometimes you can even get a "second-hand" chair that's basically unused, as when (like my neighbour) the chair their insurance provides is unsuitable to the point of unusable, or when the insurance takes so long to get someone their chair that they die or otherwise become unable to use it in the meantime. Just, again, watch out for those crappy Jazzy chairs, as they really do flood the market in many places.