The following is news about the Medicare power mobility benefit from Support Mobility Now Volume 1 Issue 1:
Across America, seniors, together with their families and caregivers, are making difficult decisions about the future. Did that last emergency room visit after a fall mean it's time to consider nursing homes? How much longer can their loved one remain safely in their own home or apartment? In every Congressional District, there are constituents trying to determine the best course for their family members and friends living with limited mobility. As the Congress debates healthcare reform, the final shape of the legislation will likely influence the health and quality-of-life options available for seniors and those who are unable to ambulate on their own.
Clearly, the skyrocketing costs of healthcare must be reined in. But there is growing concern that the Congress may administer cuts and changes to the Medicare program that will make it more difficult for beneficiaries to obtain homecare products and services, such as power wheelchairs.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT POWER MOBILITY
It's unfortunate that when lawmakers or the public often hear about power mobility, it's from media stories about criminals stealing from Medicare or about the myth that the government pays for people to utilize scooters to take trips to the local mall. These portrayals completely overshadow the true purpose, value and benefit of power mobility to seniors -- as well as to the taxpayers.
Studies have shown that Medicare beneficiaries with power wheelchairs save the government nearly $3 billion a year by reducing emergency room visits from falls, preventing other injuries to seniors and postponing placement in costly nursing homes. According to the Centers for Disease Control:
- One of every three older Americans -- about 12 million seniors -- fall each year.
- In 2000, falls among older people cost the nation more than $19 billion in direct medical costs.
- In 2003 more than 1.8 million seniors age 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries and more than 421,000 were hospitalized.
- Hip fractures from falls cause about 300,000 hospitalizations per year, costing an average of $81,000 per patient.
- In 2001, more than 11,600 seniors age 65 or over died from fall-related injuries.
Such data should encourage Congress to ensure that power mobility remains a viable option for Medicare beneficiaries.
For seniors, having a power wheelchair improves their safety, while allowing them to continue living in their home with more freedom and independence. They are able to perform the daily necessities of living, such as grooming, preparing meals and getting to the bathroom. Once Medicare beneficiaries can no longer perform these tasks, physicians usually recommend that they be placed in nursing homes. That's a bad outcome for the patient, who would rather be in the familiar surroundings of their own home, and for the government which pays the bulk of the costly nursing home stay.
RIGID QUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR BENEFIT