Cuts in Medicare hurt wheelchair users

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - Patricia Meier, a 63-year-old quadriplegic and Medicare recipient, needs to replace the wheelchair she has used for five years.

Normally, Meier could simply use her Medicare benefits to replace the power wheelchair, which adjusts her position to prevent sores, with another one from WestMed Rehab Inc., a medical supplier near her home in Box Elder, S.D. But WestMed, along with several other suppliers across the country, says it will no longer provide power wheelchairs to most Medicare recipients after Nov. 15, when cuts in Medicare reimbursements go into effect.

WestMed planned an announcement on Thursday.

The Medicare changes are intended to eliminate widespread fraud identified by the Health and Human Services Department, which oversees the program.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/no_wheelchairs

[Monkeyman]

1. Yep Vets are having a hard time finding them

[cornermouse]

2. Sores = more and higher medical bills

Not to mention pain and suffering for those who are disabled. Saving pennies and losing hundred dollar bills is stupid. But then, so is Bush.

[acmejack]

3. Compassion Conservative style!

Thank you, may I have another? They just want all the disabled to die. They damn sure see to it people suffer.

edit: Everybody is committing fraud, that is all you hear. "Fraud" If you aren't in a fucking Iron Lung you aren't disabled enough for these assholes. They won't hire you, you are "unemployable", but you are just fine...

[libodem]

5. I think you hit the nail on the head

If someone started a campaign to give these poor suckers enough morphine to off themselves and just get out of their misery, I wonder if the Party of Life would come tearing out, to save them?

[SharonAnn]

4. There has been a problem with companies committing fraud. Of course

it wasn't the individuals, but they're the ones who suffer.