In search of a battery-powered wheelchair

By Sue Culverhouse


Back in July, I had surgery on my left foot. My primary care physician, Dr. Matthew Browning, ordered two battery-powered scooter-type wheelchairs with attached baskets for me to use at Watauga Elementary and Greenbrier Middle Schools so that I could get around easily while my foot healed.

CIGNA, my insurance company, approved both vehicles for the approximately eight weeks that I’d need them. I explained that there was no need to buy the wheelchairs because I would be able to walk well as soon as my surgery healed.




Seems simple, doesn’t it? Rent the wheelchairs (both of which are too heavy to move in a regular car) and then return them when I was finished.

Wrong!

Told by Fuller Rehabilitation Independent Living Aids in Clarksville that this was possible, I was three days later informed that they did not rent battery-powered wheelchairs but we could buy one.

Moving along to Apria Healthcare with which CIGNA has its contract for mobility equipment, I spent literally hours on the phone – first being told it was possible, then hearing that they refused to rent scooters or electric wheelchairs, then with CIGNA representatives who were told the equipment would be rented, and later being told it had all been a mistake and there was no way they would rent the equipment.

(I might add here also that Dr. Browning’s nurse, Marie, had also spent countless hours on the phone trying to locate a company that would rent these vehicles.)

By then, school had started and Apria delivered two hand-driven wheelchairs at both schools. Neither of these had a basket in which to move my needed equipment for teaching.

I was not a happy camper.

At that point I e-mailed Sen. Diane Black, our senator for the 18th District. Sen. Black, who is a nurse, a former associate professor of allied health at Volunteer State College, and served as executive director of Sumner Regional Health Systems Foundation, very graciously put me in touch with the Tennessee Disability Coalition on Friday before Labor Day.

The Coalition is located at 480 Craighead St., Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37204. The phone number is (615) 383-9442. The coalition does not include only societies concerned with mobility but other agencies such as those involved with autism, paralyzed veterans, hearing impairment, mental retardation, and many other types of disabilities. It is an amazing resource for anyone with health problems.

Kimber, the highly efficient assistant to the director, called (615) 327-4931, Williams Medical Supply, 1501 Church St., Nashville 37203. These people do rent the wheelchairs and were ready to deliver two of them to both my schools on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Ironically, by this time my foot had begun to heal. I was already walking to my classes at Greenbrier Middle School although I was using the wheelchair at the elementary school to make sure no small child inadvertently stepped on my foot.

In another sidelight of this process, the week prior to this, Apria had delivered a basket for the hand-driven wheelchair to Watauga. Unfortunately, the basket required two bolts, one of which was missing, and there were no instructions on how to attach it to the chair. My husband called Apria and the representative told him that no basket would work on a hand-driven wheelchair, so it was all a mistake. He said they would pick up the basket the next day.

My fervent hope is that if anyone in my reading area has a similar need that my agony can prevent their having to go through a similar process.

I want to publicly thank Sen. Black for her efforts in my behalf. I am truly grateful that she was willing to take time from her busy schedule to solve this problem for me.

I also appreciate the Tennessee Disability Coalition and Williams Medical Supply for their quick and professional response to my needs. I shall be in contact with CIGNA about this entire situation.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Sometimes the way takes a bit longer than we’d like but eventually we can reach people who are the answer to the problem.





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Sue, I don't get it? Why don't you go to any local rental store and rent a lightweight manual wheelchair for a few dollars? Who said you need a power chair? Your foot was hurt right -- not you arms?

As a 40+ year wheelchair user, stories like this burn me up!!!!! Lazy people that feels that insurance or the government owes them something!!!

Hey lazy-bones...NO one ownes you anything. Put your lazy backside in a cheap manual chair and get some exercise that you probably need!

AL Masters
Plano, TX
http://criprevolution.blogspot.com

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:40 pm

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Hello... I just wanted to say that from experience, there is a really good chance that it is Cigna's, not Apria's fault that this happened. Apria CANNOT do anything until they get approval for a piece of equipment that Cigna will cover the wheelchair. Also, it is rare that they will rent out an electric wheelchair rather than a lightweight manual wheelchair for someone who has some ability to get around. And TWO wheelchairs? That's the first I've heard of them providing two different chairs for different locations... Cigna is known to drag it's feet regarding authorizations on medical equipment. They are the ones you should've been calling to rectify your situation. Your senator is WAY TOO BUSY for you to be calling them for something like this!!
Put yourself in the shoes of an oxygen patient who has to use a manual wheelchair with a tank attached to it...who then has to load it in a vehicle in order to go to the Dr., grocery store, or anywhere else they may need to go to..... Consider yourself lucky that you are back walking again, without the need of a wheelchair. There are thousands of people who aren't so lucky!

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:03 pm

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I can understand very well why Sue was upset. After paying into a healthcare plan for so many years it is disturbing when you find that your insurance carrier(CIGNA) and their no-longer-competitive subcontractors(APHRIA) can't muster the ability to fill even one physician order CORRECTLY when you need it to be done....before you get better that is. I should add that at the very same time the CEO's of both of these incompetent companies were paid over a million dollars each last year. Makes you wonder about what their priorities really are doesn't it? Certainly not with quality customer service. Sue, we need more like you to bring these idiotic stories to light. Most patients/customers cannot. You go Girl!

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:06 am

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Sue Culverhouse
Sue Culverhouse is a music teacher at Watauga Elementary School and Greenbrier Middle School. She has won two Virginia Press Awards for Excellence in Writing. She lives in Springfield with her husband, Bill, a sculptor and their golden retriever, Apache. Related news from the Web
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The Jacobetti Home for Veterans has received a top-of-the-line electric wheelchair. It was the gift of a VFW member from Crystal Falls.

The chair belonged to Richard Wheeler Jr., and according to officials at the home, a chair this expensive is a rare donation. His son wasn't able to personally deliver the chair, but his fellow VFW post members filled in.

Marvin Hill from Post 2891 says, "Well, we have a life member at the post, his name is Mike Wheeler, and his father had this chair and he passed on and his wishes were that this chair would go to a veterans home."

The chair will actually go to a vet at the home whose insurance won't cover this type of chair or who doesn't qualify for certain benefits.
http://www.wluctv6.com/Global/story....01070&nav=81AX