Medicare power mobility remains a viable option for beneficiaries

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

What often go unrecognized are the demographics of the people who qualify for Medicare's power mobility benefit and the rigorous qualification process.

The average power mobility recipient is 71-years-old and suffering from at least three chronic diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, diabetes, arthritis and heart disease. These Medicare beneficiaries are certainly not using scooters for joy rides. In fact, manufacturers report that nine out of every 10 scooter sales are made in cash, with no association whatsoever to the Medicare program. Furthermore, data from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that scooters represent about 2 percent of Medicare's total expenditures for power mobility.

Also consider that Congress has mandated that to obtain a power wheelchair through Medicare a patient must undergo a face-to-face examination with their physician. After completing an exhaustive series of regulatory requirements, the physician will then write a prescription if it is determined that the beneficiary needs a power wheelchair.

As usual, the truth is nowhere near as flashy as the myths. But with Congress on the verge of enacting revolutionary changes to our healthcare system, it is critical that lawmakers and policymakers differentiate between truth and myth when it comes to power mobility. What's clear is that power wheelchairs must be part of the equation moving forward. This medical equipment improves safety and enhances the lives of our seniors, the generation that built and protected our great nation.

We owe them an opportunity to spend their golden years with dignity and respect -- in their homes.