New cushion? That means a new chair, sorry.

Wheeler has a pressure sore again.  The same pressure sore, actually as before only this time its not as gnarly and deep.  Two problems here.  One, once you have a pressure sore in a given area, that area is forever more prone to getting a pressure sore there again.  Two, his cushion is over 5 years old and is likely contributing to the sore, so every time he gets up, that spot is aggravated by his cushion.  So once he gets better, he'll have to go get pressure mapped for a new cushion.

But I am oh so not looking forward to that because he recently went on Medicare, and his wheelchair was purchased by his previous insurance company.  And in a stroke of genius, Medicare won't purchase or repair items for a wheelchair they didn't purchase.   As far as Medicare is concerned, if they didn't buy the chair, it does not exist and they will not pay for any repairs to it.

So if his chair needs any repairs at all, or say, theoretically needs a $300 cushion, we are just shit outta luck until Medicare buys him a new chair. But you see, his chair cost $47,147.

Yes, $47,147. I'm not kidding.

And it took a predictably horrible anguishing amount of time and energy to get it reimbursed (they denied it for 13 months despite being 100% pre-approved IN WRITING before we ordered it), so to go through that process again is not something I'm looking forward to.  And even if it would be better with Medicare (which I've heard it is), a lot of the features on his chair - such as the seat elevator (which raises the entire seat up and down so that he can sit level at a taller or shorter table) is not covered under Medicare, nor is a standing function covered, so a new chair would be ALOT less functional for him.

So there's the rub. We need a $300 cushion for his chair.  But to get a $300 cushion for his chair, Medicare would have to

BUY. HIM. A. NEW. FRIGGIN. CHAIR.

with fewer features, not to mention

HE. DOESN'T. NEED. A. NEW. CHAIR. HE. JUST. NEEDS. A. NEW. CUSHION.

This will become especially problematic as the years go on as the wheelchair needs more repairs, because as of now we're considering just sucking up the $300 out of pocket because losing the features of his old chair would not be worth it to save $300 on a cushion.  Why can't Medicare just pay to repair his current chair until it really does need to be replaced???

Just one more fine and dandy part of life on wheels.

That and laying on his side for a few weeks while this sore heals.  Again.