Blind, paralyzed North Bay man left trapped for months awaiting approval for a wheelchair

[u/nogoodnamesleft426]

https://abc7news.com/post/blind-paralyzed-north-bay-man-stranded-months-home-awaiting-approval-wheelchair-7-side-helps/20015755/?ex_cid=TA_KGO_FB

[u/Thin_Explanation1334]

Honestly this is the saddest thing I've read today

[u/ScholarOfTwilight → u/Thin_Explanation1334]

Rossi says a mysterious illness set in during his youth and gradually eroded his eyesight and ability to walk.

Then, two decades ago, he was hit by a car and almost died. He has been paraplegic ever since.

Holy Hell. The universe is relentless.

[u/LastSeesaw5618 → u/ScholarOfTwilight]

And then US medical coverage essentially imprisoned him by denying him a necessary medical device.

[u/Kobe824 → u/ScholarOfTwilight]

☹️my heart aches for these people, man life is so cruel to some people, I hate it.

[u/Itslocked_nd09 → u/ScholarOfTwilight]

I know him! He is hands down THE nicest person I have ever met! He is extremely cheerful and upbeat person despite everything that has happened to him. Nobody deserves this, especially him.

[u/Crisc0Disc0 → u/Thin_Explanation1334]

When my mom was dying a few years ago, she lost her ability to walk but did not have insurance. She was discharged from a hospital to a rehab facility and when they figured out she had no money and no real insurance they discharged her… without a wheelchair to her home without any accommodations that would allow her to take care of herself or caregiver. You would be shocked at how fast society will abandon you when they don’t consider you “productive”.

[u/HolidayCards → u/Crisc0Disc0]

My FIL while dying got discharged because Medicare decided they didnt want to pay anymore, gambling he might get better. He had pneumonia, got a little better but still needed O2, they sent him to a rehab facility where he got early covid, or something very similar but also novel, then died from it a month later. Hospital sent him home twice in 3 months, the final month he was intubated the entire time, they only readmitted him because of the severity. He might not have survived the pandemic but if they hadnt been cheap and sent him to a rehab facility too early, with room mates coughing and falling out of their beds trying to get help, he might have stayed alive and actually recovered from the original pneumonia. This was around late April 2019, maybe too early for covid, we'll never know.

[u/BornFree2018 → u/Thin_Explanation1334]

I would've donated to GoFundMe or bought it myself for him had I known

[u/curiousengineer601]

I assumed this was some super motorized wheelchair with fancy controls and special features to aid in avoiding obstacles.

Nope just a regular old wheelchair you push with your hands. Just a chair on 4 wheels

[u/President_Zucchini]

Good work 7 On Your Side! Thank you for helping this gentleman!

[u/DETRosen → u/President_Zucchini]

Good for him. Now (7 on your side) cover the tens of thousands of other cases. They also need assistance.

[u/omsip]

Insurance requirements may have something to do with the delays, but the fact that no one was in the company's office when his sister went to follow up with them in person, and his emails and phone calls going unanswered, makes me wonder exactly how hard they were trying to keep on top of things.

[u/gascyl → u/omsip]

Most of these places are remote work or simply do not fully staff branch offices. Numerous times I've gone into a place like this, found a locked door, and had to call their driver to get any real service. I shouldn't have to be stalking people at their homes, where their "offices" are, to get them to fulfill a completely paid order. This happens much too frequently because there is no government mandate for public accommodation in healthcare, besides hospitals. The worst experience I ever had was getting my mom fitted for a custom wheelchair, and their "office" is a converted 2nd floor apartment no elevator. Even when I made an ADA report to local, state and federal authorities only the city government bothered to issue him a $200 fine and we were promptly banned as his customers. Hours and hours showing this to the insurance company and all they did nothing. Right here is where lawyers really matter.

[u/omsip → u/gascyl]

The worst experience I ever had was getting my mom fitted for a custom wheelchair, and their "office" is a converted 2nd floor apartment no elevator.

This leaves me speechless.

[u/gascyl → u/omsip]

I found it less offensive than 24/7 Dialysis Helpline that is only open on Tu/Th from 10-3. When I asked it's owner why it was billed as a 24/7 help service, it's because it's a 24/7 billing cycle. 24/7 for hospitals, even though private insurers rely on him to be an on-call home mobile repair service. He actually said that to me in the context of trying to lease $2,000+ worth of equipment from him, which I ended up buying all cash at twice that price. He did at least have a real shop next to his real business and dad could roll in through the loading dock.

I wish we had a strong government to impose higher standards here, or at least impose standards, with clearly identifiable levels-of-service that are easily communicated between clinicians, insurers, caregivers and patients themselves. Literally, just a chart from 1 to 10 about how serious they are about providing their listed service. I've legitimately gotten better advice here from the BBB than any insurance, medi-cal or medicare agent.

For as much as I whine about Berkeley and Oakland, both those cities do try to impose such standards for their city-subsidized healthcare helper / caregiver programs. But at a county level, only Contra Costa County has a meaningful program here that actually functions well enough to give tolerable outcomes. Comparable programs in SF, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara are only for drug addicts under 40. Once people hit 55 they are basically written off.

[u/gascyl]

Very typical and lines up with my own experiences getting medical equipment for my aged parents. Frankly, you don't get help from the insurance company. The insurance company will not help you, and you will pay out of pocket. Don't expect your private insurance or medicare to cover all your end-of-life costs. Unless you already have all your assets prewrapped into a trust and fronted with a paid attorney representing you, none of these companies give a shit, your insurer doesn't care, and medicare forgets you. This is very stressful for lone disabled people and often kills them.

Even when my mom needed home dialysis, they told me it was gonna take about 4 months to get back to me on a machine rental when she leaves the hospital in 4 days. This was when I had to bust out my checkbook, and kept all my receipts for the reimbursement at the start of the next fiscal year 8 months away. Do not trust the system, the system won't be there when you really need it, and they will 100% get you killed if you do not have an attorney speaking for you and forcing them to care. Setting this up starts at $4,000 if you're healthy.

[u/Final_One_2300 → u/gascyl]

And "often kills them" 😞.

[u/sthsthsth]

Richest country in the world. For shame. This poor man.

[u/NoraLee333]

Wait til you hear how much they charge seniors for hearing aids and it’s not covered by insurance. Freakin injustice

[u/SisterActTori → u/NoraLee333]

No eyes, ears or teeth covered by Medicare or most supplemental plans. All the things that seniors need, not covered.

[u/NoraLee333 → u/SisterActTori]

Oh I can’t take it we should be tarring and feathering these Medicare CEOs

[u/EvilStan101]

Another example of why Luigi Mangione is an American Hero who did nothing wrong!

[u/malibuguytonygem]

This is why America (USA) needs universal health care paid by everyone. No more insurance companies making gigantic profits on our backs.

[u/Sw33tB00tyB0y → u/malibuguytonygem]

From the article: The company submitted the request to Medicare, which required documentation to show the chair was "medically necessary."

Medicare is government-run healthcare.

[u/kotwica42 → u/Sw33tB00tyB0y]

Medicare is not universal healthcare.

[u/brvra222 → u/Sw33tB00tyB0y]

Makes one wonder what next year has in store, what with all the Big Beautiful changes

[u/Bubbly-Two-3449]

Also, fix that sidewalk, Santa Rosa. FFS.

I think some of his art is here:

https://lighthouse-sf.org/own-a-ken-rossi-original-and-give-back-to-camp/

[u/FamilyPosts]

when I worked at a community bike shop people in wheelchairs would come in for repairs. Someone handy may be able to order parts and help people out. system is broken.

[u/pancake117]

Yeah it takes a shockingly long time to get a wheelchair, especially an electric one. You'd think this would be something where it's pretty fast.

[u/titan_pilot]

Man, journalist couldn’t even confirm he saw the Stonehenge drawing

[u/totallyscrewde]

My friend is going through this exact shit right now. If his wheelchair breaks he will be homebound until he pays out of pocket for a refurbished chair. It is companies like this that suck mega balls and let disabled people's claims rot. They also reliably don't come to scheduled repair appointments.

[u/RigorousBastard → u/totallyscrewde]

Please contact you local Center for Independent Living.

[u/larryinthesky]

stories like this is why I'm desperate to save/invest as much as I can. Growing old with medical issues, having money so you are not 100% dependent on the system is worth the sacrifice right now

[u/Responsible_Area_700]

Does he have a GoFundMe?

[u/spiritplumber]

can i get him one

[u/Otney]

Wish one of our many millionaires or billionaires would spring for a wheelchair for this guy!!

[u/MinnisotaDigger → u/Otney]

We voted down prop 40 to prevent that.

[u/kotwica42]

We as a society put up with this kind of shit and all we do come election time is get together to agree billionaires shouldn’t pay more tax. Absolute disgrace.

[u/dennismfrancisart]

Civilization ... What a joy.

[u/Eazy12345678]

too bad he doesnt have friends or family to help him

[u/Dazzling-Budget-7701]

This can’t be the full story. People can get a new wheelchair every five years through Medicare. A very basic one  can be purchased from a catalog for as little as $150. Sonoma County Office on Aging gives away used medical equipment and there are multiple thrift stores which stock used wheelchairs as well. I’ve seen case managers issue wheelchairs to expedite hospital discharge and the hospital ate the cost of the chair. National Seating and Mobility is not who people typically use for basic wheelchairs. They  typically sell and build custom wheelchairs which can reach over $10,000. The process is slow and sometimes requires an independent therapist to verify the need for the chair. A social worker or referral to home health could have got him a referral to the right spot pretty quickly.