Wheelchair Progress is SLOW but moving forward

The last meeting with Rehab Institute of Chicago (RIC) was November 5, 2009. Now almost 1 month later on Monday evening we received a phone message from RIC saying they finally have finished the paperwork which states that in their opinion I need a new wheelchair. Yesterday, Thursday December 3, 2009 we sent an email to Rehab Tech, the company who will order the new wheelchair, and once they receive it make the special modifications I will need, telling them the letter of medical necessity was on its.

However, Rehab Tech hadn’t received the letter of necessity from RIC yet. I assume it is in the mail and just hasn’t arrived yet. Our contact person at Rehab Tech said once they receive the letter of necessity they will fax it to my neurologist for her signature. Then once they have the doctors signature they will send all the paperwork to our insurance company.

So it seems to me that we have completed only the first two steps in the process of getting the new wheelchair. There are many more steps that need to be completed in this process and all of these steps take time. The next most important step is to receive approval from the insurance company. Once that huge hurdle is behind us it will just be a matter of time. However, until that hurdle is behind us there is still a real possibility that the insurance company will say that in their opinion I don’t need this new wheelchair.

I think it will be many more months before I see this wheelchair.