How to Get a Wheelchair from the VA
The Veterans Administration can issue wheelchairs to help you overcome the limitations imposed by your disability/ies if you meet the established criteria far receiving prosthetic services. Your eligibility for prosthetic equipment is determined by the prosthetic service at your local VA medical facility.
Criteria
Public Law (E L) 104-262—The Veterans' Healthcare Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which became effective October 9, 1996—made eligibility rules the same for inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical services. The law repealed the former requirement that certain care only be provided "in preparation for hospital admission or to obviate the need of hospital admission" or "to complete treatment incident to" hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, or outpatient care.You must now be enrolled and receiving medical services from a VA hospital or outpatient clinic.
Public Law (E L) 104-262—The Veterans' Healthcare Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which became effective October 9, 1996—made eligibility rules the same for inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical services. The law repealed the former requirement that certain care only be provided "in preparation for hospital admission or to obviate the need of hospital admission" or "to complete treatment incident to" hospital, nursing home, domiciliary, or outpatient care.You must now be enrolled and receiving medical services from a VA hospital or outpatient clinic.
To simplify the eligibility criteria for prosthetic services, this law eliminated the prohibition against VA furnishing prosthetic devices on an outpatient/ ambulatory care basis.
Your disability requires the use of a wheelchair, even though you are able to stand and transfer, or you have a temporary disability and no special features or modifications to the wheelchair are required; or you have the anatomical loss or loss of use of both legs or the anatomical loss of one leg combined with the loss of use or severe impairment of the other leg, which requires the constant and continued use of a wheelchair; or you have the anatomical loss or loss of use of at least one leg, which prevents participation in normal sports activities.
The Procedure
All requests for prosthetic appliances and services to a VA medical center (VAMC) are referred to its prosthetic services for action and disposition. This includes those made in person, by telephone, or by mail.
Your request for a wheelchair will likely be referred to the facility's prosthetic clinic team or major medical equipment committee for finalization of the medical prescription. lf your facility' has no teams, a VA staff physician will examine you, determine your medical need, and prescribe the wheelchair and any necessary accessories.
The prosthetic clinic team consists of a physician, rehabilitation therapist, and prosthetics representative. The physician writes the prescription for the wheelchair after consultation with the rehabilitation therapist, prosthetics rep, and patient. Prosthetics purchases the wheelchair, follows up on the order, expedites delivery if necessary, helps setup the chair, and ensures training is provided on the chair's safe operation. The prosthetics representative also recovers used wheelchairs and equipment, when these items are no longer needed by the user.
Medical feasibility and your need for a wheelchair are determined through a physical examination, generally performed by the physician or a therapist who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He/she should measure and fit you for a wheelchair at the examination. If you are hospitalized, the exam will be conducted at the hospital. lf you are an outpatient, it takes place at the VA facility closest to your home.
After the exam, the physician or therapist writes a prescription detailing the type and specifications of the wheel chair. Most often it is selected after careful discussion among the patient, physician or therapist, and prosthetics representative. You may choose the manufacturer, type, and color of your wheelchair, unless your choice is medically inappropriate for your needs. lf you are not sure of a specific manufacturer, prosthetics service personnel will tell you about the products available from al! manufacturers under VA contracts to provide wheelchairs.
VA lends wheelchairs when patients require them for short period of time (one year or less), such as for temporary disabling conditions. VA makes periodic follow-ups at 6- and 12-month intervals. Veterans may take these wheelchairs with them if they move. Veterans who lose eligibility for prosthetics services are notified their eligibility has terminated. VA may recover any items from veterans or decide to issue the wheelchairs permanently.
Each VA medical facility' may have a slightly different internal procedure for handling wheelchair requests. The general process can be simplified as follows:
1. Patient obtains the medical prescription.
The Procedure
All requests for prosthetic appliances and services to a VA medical center (VAMC) are referred to its prosthetic services for action and disposition. This includes those made in person, by telephone, or by mail.
Your request for a wheelchair will likely be referred to the facility's prosthetic clinic team or major medical equipment committee for finalization of the medical prescription. lf your facility' has no teams, a VA staff physician will examine you, determine your medical need, and prescribe the wheelchair and any necessary accessories.
The prosthetic clinic team consists of a physician, rehabilitation therapist, and prosthetics representative. The physician writes the prescription for the wheelchair after consultation with the rehabilitation therapist, prosthetics rep, and patient. Prosthetics purchases the wheelchair, follows up on the order, expedites delivery if necessary, helps setup the chair, and ensures training is provided on the chair's safe operation. The prosthetics representative also recovers used wheelchairs and equipment, when these items are no longer needed by the user.
Medical feasibility and your need for a wheelchair are determined through a physical examination, generally performed by the physician or a therapist who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He/she should measure and fit you for a wheelchair at the examination. If you are hospitalized, the exam will be conducted at the hospital. lf you are an outpatient, it takes place at the VA facility closest to your home.
After the exam, the physician or therapist writes a prescription detailing the type and specifications of the wheel chair. Most often it is selected after careful discussion among the patient, physician or therapist, and prosthetics representative. You may choose the manufacturer, type, and color of your wheelchair, unless your choice is medically inappropriate for your needs. lf you are not sure of a specific manufacturer, prosthetics service personnel will tell you about the products available from al! manufacturers under VA contracts to provide wheelchairs.
VA lends wheelchairs when patients require them for short period of time (one year or less), such as for temporary disabling conditions. VA makes periodic follow-ups at 6- and 12-month intervals. Veterans may take these wheelchairs with them if they move. Veterans who lose eligibility for prosthetics services are notified their eligibility has terminated. VA may recover any items from veterans or decide to issue the wheelchairs permanently.
Each VA medical facility' may have a slightly different internal procedure for handling wheelchair requests. The general process can be simplified as follows:
1. Patient obtains the medical prescription.
2. Patient is evaluated and fitted.
3. VA personnel verify patient's prosthetics eligibility.
4. VA orders the wheelchair.
5. Manufacturer delivers the wheelchair, and VA follows up.
By Charles Henning. Copyright 2011, Paralyzed Veterans of America, by permission of PN magazine.
