During this period of rising healthcare costs and cuts in benefits, amputees and their families are making this trip to Washington, D.C., to tell lawmakers that they need their own “bailout.” Many of them have nightmarish stories of fighting with insurance companies to try to get the prosthetic devices they need to work and live.

“Insurance companies are unrealistically limiting reimbursement of prosthetic arms and legs or summarily electing not to cover them at all,” said Kendra Calhoun, Amputee Coalition president and CEO. “We intend to turn this tide, and our Lobby Day on March 10 is a great example of the grassroots support we have from across the country to do so. Arms and legs are not luxury items. Mobility is a serious issue for amputees who want to keep their jobs, take care of their families, and live healthy, active lives.” 

Unfortunately, some insurance companies are even providing coverage for only one prosthesis per lifetime or eliminating coverage completely.

“Families are essentially penalized $20,000 or more because their child has grown and their arm or leg no longer fits,” said Calhoun. “Even for older adults, it is absurd to expect them to use only one prosthesis in their lifetime. No one would expect a person to wear a single pair of shoes their entire life, and prosthetic devices should be no different.”

These types of insurance company practices pose especially grave challenges for families of children with limb loss, and several parents and children are attending this event to make their voices heard.

They’ll be telling their congressional representatives about what keeps them up at night. Will they be able to get their child an artificial leg or arm as he or she grows? How will they look their child in the eye and say, “I’m sorry, but you can’t get a new leg because our insurance, which we have paid premiums on for years, won’t cover it”? And if they are able to pay for their child’s prosthetic needs through mortgaging their home or burying themselves in debt, how will they cover the additional devices their child will need as he or she grows?

“We are fighting for these families, but it’s a difficult battle,” said Morgan Sheets, the Amputee Coalition’s national advocacy director, who is leading the Lobby Day activities. “Insurance companies have a powerful voice. The Amputee Coalition and its citizen lobbyists are like David taking on Goliath. However, we trust that our congressional representatives will see the logic in our claims and do what is right. This year, they will have a wonderful opportunity to help us achieve a great victory for American families.”

About the Amputee Coalition of America      

The Amputee Coalition, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, with an advocacy staff in Washington, D.C., is a national nonprofit organization that empowers people who have experienced amputation or are born with limb differences through education, support and advocacy. For more information about limb loss, please visit the Amputee Coalition Web site at www.amputee-coalition.org or call 888/267-5669.