Opinion: Wheelchair users live outside the home, not just inside. Medicare policies need to acknowledge that

STAT June 29, 2022
Barry Dean

My daughter, Katherine, is 21 years old. She has cerebral palsy and has relied on a power wheelchair to move around the world since she was 5 years old.

With summer in full swing, she likes to roll down the sidewalks in our neighborhood and look at the flowers in bloom. She enjoys popping into her neighborhood therapy clinic to visit friends. And she loves to be the center of attention. Earlier this summer, she participated in a two-night stage performance of “Shrek,” starring adults with disabilities. She played the Fairy Godmother, and she nailed it.

These activities all take place outside our home so, according to the outdated policies used by Medicare to determine which mobility devices to cover,...

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