If you or someone you know has had a wheelchair claim denied, United Spinal Association wants to hear about it.
In a March 31 bulletin to stakeholders, United Spinal said it’s “calling for our members and all wheelchair users to share your stories of coverage denial for essential equipment with us.
“Our wheelchair denial stories are powerful, and getting them in front of the right people is the best way to get policies and laws that support our independence and right to move about our community.”
The association added that its government relations team is collaborating with physical therapist Jean Minkel on this project.
“Everyone has a wheelchair story, and most of them stem from frustration about denials,” Minkel, a seating industry veteran, said in the announcement. “Too often, we share stories with each other, but they’re not collected to show the patterns of failure of our current policies and practices. We need to see them in one place to effectively advocate for what our community actually needs.”
Stating that there is power in numbers, United Spinal said this collection of accounts “will illustrate how many people are negatively impacted by coverage restrictions. They will give us tools to demonstrate why all wheelchair users must be able to obtain the equipment they need.”
The story-sharing process includes the person with the disability being asked what equipment they currently use; what equipment was denied; the reason given for the denial; and any actions the person with the disability took after receiving the denial. Participants are also asked to upload photos of the denial letter.
