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Medical Practice Wheelchairs

Rant — “You Ain’t No ‘Count to Me”

So, Medicare has denied my dad’s claim for a powerchair. They need to know whether it’s a sale or a rental. The supplier of the powerchair, which was delivered and PAID FOR last July, apparently failed to mention this when they submitted the claim (two months later).

I called the supplier. I asked for the salesman, who had begged me (after a previous nasty problem) to always contact him before anyone else at the company. I was told to leave a message.

So I described the problem — a Medicare claim submitted incorrectly — and the woman on the other end of the line said only “Where are you calling from?”

I said (thinking geography) “Does it matter?”

She said “A facility, or are you just a private patient?”

Yes, I was sarcastic. Yes, I let her have it with both barrels (though only for two sentences).

No, she did not apologize. Yes, her tone of voice indicated that I was an oversensitive idiot, who had ruined her day.

And all she did was tell the truth. I am JUST a private patient. Way, way, way down the food chain.

I don’t even want to think where my dad is.