After months and months of waiting, we finally have some movement on Namine’s wheelchair. Hopefully it won’t be long before the process for her walker is done, too.
A couple months ago, Namine had a seating clinic appointment, in which we discussed her obtaining a new wheelchair. That meeting went very well, and we thought it would be smooth sailing from there. How wrong we were.
There were a couple problems, not the least of which was a lack of communication from the wheelchair guy we spoke with. (I don’t actually know his job title, so “wheelchair guy” will have to do.) The other major issue — as it always is — is insurance.
Getting anything Namine needs is always complicated because she has two insurances: my private insurance through work, and the state insurance. Thanks to the ACA, the state will completely cover anything Namine needs, but only if my insurance is first willing to (partially) cover it. That only happens if the thing is a medical necessity, which means things like a sport wheelchair (for basketball, baseball, and going running with me) or a hand-crank bicycle are not covered. (Even certain features of Namine’s new approved wheelchair are considered “luxury,” and will therefore not be covered.) As you might imagine, getting a response back from one insurance is headache enough, to say nothing of two.
But all that is over and done with, now. The wheelchair guy has submitted the approved specs for Namine’s new wheelchair, one TiLite Aero Z by name. Now… we wait, again.
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