A Reviewers Blog

Aetna

4-30-08

Wheelman

Subject: Final Appeal Decision

Sear Mr. Wheelman:

This letter is in response to the appeal request we received on April 30, 2008. This appeal is regarding the denied predetermination request for the TiLite ZRa wheelchair and accessories supplied by Monroe Wheelchair.

A medical director, board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics, who was not involved in the original decision, participated in the review of this appeal. We reviewed all available information including:
* your correspondence,
* clinical documentation submitted,
* and Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin Number 271.

Our Decision
Based on our review of the above information, we are reversing our previous benefit decision and will now allow benefits for this TiLite wheelchair and accessories.

Upon review of the submitted clinical documentation and the related clinical policy bulletin on wheelchairs, the prior determination is overturned. Coverage will be allowed for the requested ultra light wheelchair, special wheels/tires, and other accessories. With the diagnosis of sacroiliac dysfunction and your unique clinical situation, this wheelchair appears to provide the most benefit to support activities of daily living with the least amount of discomfort and with improved mobility.

>>My original goal was to acquire myself independence inside my home. I did not expect to also find the system as broken as I did…

I had not long back requested clinical and other documented information links or information they had about there wheels. Based on my use of them in an effort to determine whether they would work for my needs or not, what to me felt both like less effort to self propel with, as well as a significant improvement in comfort seemed to me a logical reason to request a set of these wheels.

Well good ole Aetna decided that my simple layperson speak is not good enough proof. Or that I just want them for any other number of reasons I can not imagine. And, honestly I rather liked the look of the lightweight metal spoked rims better. But, becuase those did not provide the needed comfort I required for all day independence, at best I could do was 30 minutes to maybe one hour worth of use before being wiped out for the day. I say the comfort was signifacant to me, based on the fact that I can go all day long in my home, partake in normal daily acitivites like use the toilet, prepare food, dust, watch TV, and access the entire main floor of my house any tim I want to. All with out added aggravation of my left SI Joint…

Spinergy’s customer service is very good as thet replied quickly, but sadly with out the information I have been seeking. I found it.

Hughes B; Sawatzky BJ; Hol AT

Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the energy efficiency of straight-line wheeling using Spinergy wheels as compared with standard steel-spoke wheels, and to assess the 2 wheels in terms of user comfort and wheeling preference during a wheeling course with multiple turns and surfaces. DESIGN: Nonblinded randomized crossover trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty persons with paraplegia (neurologic level T6 and below). INTERVENTION: Wheeling a straight line and obstacle course with Spinergy or standard spoke wheelchair wheels. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Velocity and Physiological Cost Index (PCI) while wheeling over ground at a self-selected pace, and the User Preference Questionnaire after wheeling an obstacle course, using Spinergy or standard spoke wheelchair wheels. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in wheeling energy efficiency between the Spinergy and the steel-spoke wheels as measured by PCI ( P =.975). When rated for overall comfort, the Spinergy wheels were preferred over steel-spoke wheels ( P =.002). CONCLUSIONS: Spinergy wheels provided a more comfortable ride, but did not differ from standard steel-spoked wheels in terms of energy efficiency. The increased comfort may have important implications in patient management of pain and spasticity.

I have also located other like tests that say almost the same thing as this test in where medically trained Dr’s used highly controlled condtions, and a population that was not in severe pain, and did not suffer from SIJD and an adverse Radio Frequency Ablation treatment over seven months ago at this time, where I am in the same sate of pain as I was at 2 weeks, then 1 month, and 2 months…

It seems that my lack of pain, and ability to partake in more of my normal daily life inside as a sign of Spinergy’s wheels as more energy efficient than the others as well as have the best comfort as compared to the other wheels I had tried. So I only got the comfort part correct, I would say not bad for a layperson to realize.

Source

Aetna I will show the public about your un-ethical ways…

Aetna you see uses the Medicare guidelines as its method to ISOLATE DISABLED PEOPLE and elders as well.

>>Supporting article actual can fit for any medical insurance company using this model, above is my comments, and frustration.<<

Older adults and people with physical disabilities can get Medicare coverage for mobility devices, like wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters, which are necessary for use in their homes.

However they cannot get coverage for mobility devices that are solely for functioning outside their home. ((My observation: Or DME to enable both in one piece of equipment.))

Since the institution of Medicare’s coverage standards for mobility devices, and other kinds of durable medical equipment, nearly four decades ago, advances have been made in three critical areas: (1) improvements in design of mobility devices that allow people to participate more fully in their communities; widespread societal recognition that with appropriate accommodations many limitations on functioning can and should be lifted; and (2) recent court decisions requiring that individuals with disabilities be provided with the necessary supports to live as independently as possible in their communities.

The current interpretation of Medicare’s coverage standards for mobility devices does not reflect these advances. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) interpretation of Medicare’s coverage standard prevents people from getting needed medical equipment to function within their communities. ((My observation: this part of the population if covered private health insurance, are also forced into isolation because of these outdated guides)).

By contemporary medical and legal standards, the [CMS's] interpretation is unreasonable and quite likely unlawful. The Medicare statute neither specifies that durable medical equipment is exclusively for use in the patient’s home nor bars consideration of an equipment’s use outside the home.

There is no indication of Congressional intent to support this limitation of coverage. CMS has both the authority and the responsibility to interpret the Medicare statute so as to be consistent with historical developments in law, technology and social mores.

United States Supreme Court precedent holds that agencies are “charged with the administration of [a] statute in light of everyday realities.” Everyday realities have changed since Medicare was launched in 1965.

Laws such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Ticket to Work and Work Improvements Incentives Act of 1999 reflect a broad, bipartisan commitment to increasing community integration of people with disabilities.

This commitment is evident in judicial decisions, including Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring, and executive orders, such as President George W. Bush’s New Freedom Initiative, a set of proposals to promote opportunities for Americans with disabilities to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives, and participate fully in their communities.

Developing political and legal standards are consistent with medical opinion: the costs of isolation for people with disabilities can include poorer health outcomes and higher systematic health costs.

Also, scientific evidence indicates that people who get inappropriate mobility devices given their needs develop secondary medical conditions. In light of technological advances that today make appropriate equipment available and community integration possible, CMS has a responsibility to update its interpretation of the Medicare statute.

While CMS must rightly be concerned with costs associated with a more modern interpretation of Medicare’s coverage policy, other insurers have found that an appropriate standard has not led to an explosion in the provision of more expensive mobility devices.

Specifically, the brief recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: (1) correct its Medicare coverage policy to cover medically appropriate mobility devices that help maintain or improve functioning for people in the environments they are likely to encounter in their daily routines (both inside and outside of the home), and (2) guard against unnecessary expenses for Medicare by incorporating mandatory equipment evaluations to ensure that people receive equipment that matches their needs.

While durable medical equipment encompasses a wide array of assistive devices, this brief will focus on wheeled mobility items, recognizing that this analysis will have varying applications to other durable medical equipment as well.

Source of information above:

http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/16447855

Aetna Announces Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit

HARTFORD, Conn. & MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 24, 2003–

Federal Court Approves Historic Agreement between Aetna and Doctors; Transparency and Business Practice Improvements Highlight “New Era of Cooperation”

A U.S. Federal Court today approved an historic agreement between Aetna (NYSE: AET) and representatives of nearly 1 million doctors. The ruling, issued today by Judge Federico Moreno of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Miami), settles a national class action that has been pending before the Court for more than three years. Today’s ruling affirms the significance of Aetna’s agreement, noting, “the benefits available directly to the Class represent an excellent result….”

“The Court’s decision to ratify this industry-leading agreement endorses a new era of cooperation between Aetna and physicians,” said John W. Rowe, M.D., Aetna chairman and CEO. “Our ongoing business practice initiatives and heightened levels of transparency will give physicians and their office staffs more time to focus on their central mission – providing health care to patients. This agreement will reduce administrative complexity and lead to changes in the health care system that will ultimately benefit patients.”

“From this day forward physicians and their patients will find it much easier to navigate what was unfortunately a hostile and complex managed care system,” said Tim Norbeck, executive director of the Connecticut State Medical Society. “Today’s finalization of Aetna’s agreement with physicians is the first important step toward making the health care system more responsive to physicians and their patients and we intend to build on this step.”

“Our physicians are extremely pleased with today’s result,” noted Catherine Hanson, vice president and General Counsel of the California Medical Association. “Working together we have taken a great step forward for the benefit of everyone involved in the health care delivery system.”

Details of the agreement, including provisions and a progress report on business practice and other initiatives are available at www.aetna.com/legal_issues/suits/agreement.html.

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading providers of heath care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care products, serving more than 13 million medical members, 11.3 million dental members and 11.7 million group insurance customers, as of June 30, 2003. The company has expansive nationwide networks of more than 579,000 health care services providers, including nearly 349,000 primary care and specialist physicians, and 3,589 hospitals. For more information about Aetna, please visit the company’s web site at www.aetna.com.

The Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) is a federation of eight component county medical associations, with a total membership exceeding 7,000 physicians. CSMS itself is a constituent state entity of the American Medical Association. Founded by the physician-patriots of the American Revolution, the Society operates from a heritage of democratic principles embodied in its Charter and Bylaws.

The California Medical Association is the professional organization of 35,000 California physicians, representing all modes of practice and specialties.

For additional information concerning HMO litigation, please visit the HMO Crisis Newsroom.

A general breakdown of the different levels of wheelchairs.

Standard Weight Wheelchairs

With weights starting at 35 pounds, a standard weight wheelchair is the perfect choice when you need a wheelchair that will be used less than 4 hours per day, but needs to be self-propelled. A full selection is available from the most basic models with fixed legrests and armrests to wheelchairs that have elevating legrests and removable armrests. There are also models with a “hemi” height option. This option allows you to lower the seat-to-floor height and remove the legrests so that the user can use their feet to help propel the chair. All standard weight wheelchairs fold for easy transport and storage. Consider a foam cushion for additional comfort.

STANDARD WHEELCHAIRS as well as LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIRS and
HIGH STRENGTH LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIRS

These are mostly used in nursing homes, hospitals, departmental stores, airports etc. for temporary transportation of persons who need aid for mobility. These are NOT Dialy use fulltime wheelchairs.

Lightweight Wheelchairs - Also High Strength Lightweight Wheelchairs

With weights 30 lbs. and above, a lightweight wheelchair is a great choice when you need a wheelchair that will be used more frequently, when you need special options, or if your able to lift this weight range you will be set. The lightweight wheelchairs start with standard style models and move to somewhat more adjustable models. However, none of the models I could find online or in person offered some very important adjustments for a full time user of a wheelchair. The areas of adjustment for any of the 30 pound wheelchairs in the “class” of lightweight included verticle rear wheel height adjustment of an inch or two, armrest adjustemts, and maybe a tiltable back to the seat.

Ultra-lightweight Wheelchairs

With wheelchair weights as low as just under 10 pounds (rigid frame) and up with frames available in both rigid and folding models.The ultra-lightweight wheelchair is the best option for the full-time user. These wheelchairs offer areas of adjustment that can effect long term levels of comfort. These areas include CENTER of GRAVITY – This allows a user to adjust how much force it takes to push themselves.

Also important is how the use of this adjustment can greatly reduce shoulder injury over time,

and require even more medical attention that could be avoided.

The next area to adjust is Front Seat Height and also Rear seat height independent of the rear axle. This allows for better arm and hand placement over the wheels, but also for many users the comfort the adjust allows for long longer sitting. You can adjust the seat pan from flat to dump or lower front end, and or to bucket the seat for users like me who need that angle to sit in more comfort. Front wheel angle, this allows for even more front of seat/wheelchair adjustment and or to allow for fine tuning to better fit under desks, tables and such.

In effect the Dialy use or Ultra-Light wheelchair should just be renamed as the most ERGONOMIC wheelchair for a long term user. As the standard
class, and the Lighweight/High Strength Lightweight classes fail to offer these same levels of ergonomincs for the full time wheelchair user.

Standard Wheelchairs are the expected norm for most insurance claims. No need for any special evaluations or extra requirements.

Lightweight Wheelchairs not much different than Standard wheelchairs, insurance company’s require (at least Aetna doesn’t) very much effort on the end users part to get one of these. Maybe a OT mobility evaluation… But most likely not needed at all.

The Ultra-Light ( I call these the ERGONOMIC) Wheelchairs – These require the most effort to attain. In fact a denial and then an appeal, and maybe even then you still end up not being allowed this option. Will require an OT Mobility evaluation, and documents to support the need for this style of wheelchair.

Aetna I CURRENTLY OWN a High Strength Lightweight Wheelchair in the 30 plus pound range.
IT FAILS TO MEET MY NEEDS.

ERGONOMICS -

Ergonomics (or human factors) is the application of scientific information concerning objects, systems and environment for human use (definition adopted by the International Ergonomics Association in 2007). Ergonomics is commonly thought of as how companies design tasks and work areas to maximize the efficiency and quality of their employees’ work. However, ergonomics comes into everything which involves people. Work systems, sports and leisure, health and safety should all embody ergonomics principles if well designed.

It is the applied science of equipment design intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. The field is also called biotechnology, human engineering, and human factors engineering.

Ergonomic research is primarily performed by ergonomists who study human capabilities in relationship to their work demands. Information derived from ergonomists contributes to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people (IEA, 2000).

Applications

The more than twenty technical subgroups within the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) indicate the range of applications for ergonomics. Human factors engineering continues to be successfully applied in the fields of aerospace, aging, health care, IT, product design, transportation, training, nuclear and virtual environments, among others. Kim Vicente, a University of Toronto Professor of Ergonomics, argues that the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl is attributable to plant designers not paying enough attention to human factors. “The operators were trained but the complexity of the reactor and the control panels nevertheless outstripped their ability to grasp what they were seeing [during the prelude to the disaster].”

Physical ergonomics is important in the medical field, particularly to those diagnosed with physiological ailments or disorders such as arthritis (both chronic and temporary) or carpal tunnel syndrome. Pressure that is insignificant or imperceptible to those unaffected by these disorders may be very painful, or render a device unusable, for those who are.

Many ergonomically designed products are also used or recommended to treat or prevent such disorders, and to treat pressure-related chronic pain.

Wheelman

Aetna – Review so far…

I have as many people do medical insurance, and everyone knows the nightmares with being in phone limbo… The never ending voice prompter asking you to say, press, or not do anything… As you hold for what seems days.

Well I recall having the Blue Choice insurance years ago now. I called I think twice and each time spent over 20 minutes in that frustrating phone hell, then after you did all that… Then your actual hold time started.

What most companies fail to grasp is that when people do not get another person, THIS IS THE SAME AS BEING ON HOLD. Even the self help options that you can use is nothing but being on hold. They can not answer a question, or look up another request… And often times what you end up needing is a live person anyway.

Well as of late the entire insurance industry has been getting hit hard with more awareness as to the kinds of things they really behind the scenes… This post IS NOT ABOUT THAT.

This post IS ABOUT the access to my insurance companies live customer service people and how they treat me on the phone.

Well the times me or my wife have had to call Aetna the automated system is AWESOME! Plain and simple. Really, you call you get I think three maybe four in total questions to be able to talk to a live person. Or PRESS ) (Zero) at anytime to bypass the automated system. And the auto process accepts voice and button input making it easy to use. Also the entire process is about the same as when you get a front desk person and ask to be connected to another person.

About one minute is the time it takes to get told you are now being connected to customer service… And each time we have called hold time is maybe two minutes or less. And the people on the phone have been rather nice.

Some have more personality right away, others seem to warm up after talking to you a little. In any event and so far no matter what I need to find out. The people at Aetna’s customer service do not rush you through the call, they listen to what you are saying. And are eager to help as best they can.

Now it might help that I know what they are doing on there end of things that I am more patient, and having dealt with my medical issue for as long as I have, I have learned that being angry at everyone, and going into my entire medical case with each person is NOT the best thing to do.

Each person I have talked to has been shocked that I am not yelling, not in a hurry to get things done, and am easy going with them on the line. They actually tell you that they are pulling up information as they talk to you. They will call your Dr’s office while you hold, so they can insure that correct information was sent to them as you expected it be. The customer service is not excellent, however it is, very good.

Taylor Lawncare & Landscaping – Review

Year number one that winter we hired them to clear our driveway of any snow of 2 inches or more. We had really only two times we had requested they keep us clear, as we had been asked what times we wanted them out if needed for regular plowing if needed.

4:30Am to 5:30am and 4:30PM to 5:30PM allowing us to be able to leave to work from a clear driveway, and arrive home to a clear driveway.

Now we made sure to hire a plow company in our same town. As to avoid as much traffic as possible for the driver.

We explained that I had an old injury that if re-injured leaves me unable to work and fully disabled. And that this was the only reason we now needed a snow plow service.

Top it all off we dealt directly with the owners of the company. Mr. and Mrs. both very nice people.

They require customers to pay all of the cost up front. Having had never used a plow service before we had no idea how this worked. We asked around and Taylor came highly recommended to us from a few people.

The first year of service was not just what was claimed by anyone who told us about them, and when we had been told we will not have to worry about the driveway and snow… We did not at all.

Mrs. Taylor was the one to do the plowing most of the time, and WOW! What an amazing job. All my wife and I could do was rave about how excellent this company was to use. And told many, many people about them.

The snow was neatly cleared away, and pushed under our large pine tree on the lawn, allowing the driver a safe place to place the snow, and plenty of room to put it all. And this was enough of a distance from the street to allow the driver to back out seeing any traffic.

We had such excellent service from Taylor Lawncare that first winter season, we hired them again for next winter.

Well it was not such a good season for Mrs. Taylor – the service was poor, and when we called to ask what happened? We had been told about her divorce she is facing and issues of that nature.

Now we are not coldhearted people and could understand that this could and would possibly affect someone enough to cause them to forget things. Like many times we got forgotten and my wife shoveled us out that second year more than the plow service came out.

So one day my wife had enough of the shoveling and called Mrs. Taylor asking for her to at least plow us out, and not forget us. What Mrs. Taylor told my wife would change my life.

Mrs. Taylor: Why don’t you grab a shovel and dig yourself out. And, she hung up.

Mrs. Taylor your words then prompted my dead tired wife to ask of I could then shovel. Of course wanting to help my wife who in effect did your work… Could not shovel anymore.

I shoveled, and as careful as I was, and gently as I could shovel… That old injury was re-injured.

Now Mrs. Taylor I live my life from a wheelchair. All due to that heartless cold comment you made to my wife.

Now we are very understanding people, my wife and I. We knew the stress of divorce must have been huge for such a nice person like you to say such a mean thing like that to a customer. Or anyone. As it takes very little effort to drive a truck and allow it to do the work for you.

So we decided to allow your company one last chance to prove that it was just the divorce and issues that had placed huge amounts of stress on you. That caused such poor service to happen.

Plus we have owned our own small business, and we know it is hard work. And all of the rest that goes into it. So we respected you as a local small business owner and wanted to at least give you a good solid chance at correcting the poor service issue.

So far this year my wife has shoveled three our four times. Each time at least 3 inches of snow. The first year we hired you, you saw the sloped in entry to our driveway, and made sure to keep that clear as well as the driveway. Unlike a flat driveway that thing piles up the street plow and sidewalk plow snow more than normal. You made such a great point of keeping this clear, the second biggest reason we need your services.

Last winter it was a constant mess, and this is what left my wife dead tired. What got me was 2-14-07 That fluffy light snow I guess you figured would not bother anyone. Well thanks to your lack of service and being unable to leave personal issues out of your business, is not my issue.

However, my wife and I did understand the human factor involved and out of compassion and hope that last year was not some made up lie, and an excuse to continue with the level of service YOU yourself set the bar for.

This year we want a full refund. We do not feel your service meets out needs, does not come close to even poor service at this time.

When Mr. Taylor and I spoke the first time he made sure that I heard every possible excuse as to why service is failing to meet our needs. The same needs we have had from the first day, of that first winter we hired you. At no time has the location of the snow placement been on the sidewalk. Should we get fined for this, we will expect the person (YOU) who placed it on the sidewalk to pay the bill.

The second time I called and spoke to Mr. Taylor, again he made sure I heard every possible excuse as to why service was so horrid.

It is not my issue, concern, worry, or anything about traffic, school busses, and such.

We hired you because you came highly recommended.

We kept you, because YOU Mr and Mrs. Taylor provided such excellent customer service that first year. We at no time expected more than that.

We did expect the same level of service from winter, to winter based alone on the standards set by you.

I did not want to post a YOU SUCK Review. I tried to share our needs in a professional and calm manner as I am also posting this in the same way. I am not yelling, the capital letters I use here are to highlight the concern I have. Like on the phone I mentioned to Mr. Taylor I am concerned as to what happened to that excellent service we got on the first winter we hired you.

We are ready to request a full refund. To then be assured that in the next fifteen minutes to one hour at the most, AFTER not clearing the driveway before my wife arrived home as was done the first year without excuses. I called two full hours after she was home, and then the plow shows up still two hours later.

Mr. and Mrs. Taylor please refund us 100% of our money we paid for this year’s contract. As my wife again is the one who is doing the real work, and the mess you leave as of late due to being angry and in a rush, and not wanting us as customers it seems…

Leaves my wife cleaning up after you each and every time you plow us. All two or three times, and at times that met your needs and not ours.

You know we had also planned on using you as our lawncare and landscape company. Forget that from ever happening now.

Our next step is the BBB, local news papers, and news stations as to alert people of your horrid service. Should no refund be made with out that attitude we have seen and dealt with first hand. And worst of all come to expect.

Once a very happy customer,
Wheelman

Dave if and when you read this Update if you find that Yahoo site send the kink to my email you have for me. Thanks.      > It has been updated Dave. Thanks for mentioning it to me.

http://www.monroewheelchair.com/index.html#MissionAndValues

OK, I want to update the review on Monroe Wheelchair – Karma I posted here
http://wheelman.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/monroe-wheelchair-karma/

I understand that the people at Monroe Wheelchair have in fact done something to insure that such poor treatment of anyone by the person who I dealt with, will not happen again.

To the owners and people in charge of Monroe Wheelchair, thank you.

Thanks to Dave Hebert, and Dave alone I have decided to become a life long customer of Monroe Wheelchair. Dave you see offers excellent and awesome customer service, and is a true asset to Monroe Wheelchair.

Dave’s level of customer service is not just OK, or Good. I expect good service at least from any company I deal with. Mediocre does not cut it for me at all.

The level of customer service Dave offers people in need of a first time wheelchair is beyond Very Good. It is easy to see and hear that Dave has deep passion for the people he helps. It is also easy to see he does not treat anyone like a number.

Now Dave is part sales person, as well as a wheelchair fitter. I have been in sales/retail for a large part of my life. Even when I had to switch over to medical office support, I found that I needed to keep on selling. Only thing now I was selling people in pain a warm smile, a kind word, and a reminder they are still human in this crazy rush, rush world of today. In effect I was selling the fact that Strong Hospital is staffed by people who care about people as human beings. Not just for the type of insurance they happen to carry.

So what Dave can do is up to him on how he goes about dealing with people he meets. All I can say is that what Dave has is not something anyone can teach him. It is built into who he is as a person. And it is very refreshing to meet someone who enjoys and loves what they do for a change.

I am so happy I gave Monroe Wheelchair a second chance by keeping my appointment with Dave with the OT for my mobility evaluation.

Knowing that the kind people of Monroe Wheelchair promptly took care of an important concern I had not just for myself, rather for other people as well. Has made me a huge fan of them now.

I recommend anyone looking for quality equipment,.people who know what they are doing, and want a fair price on medical equipment, check out…

http://www.monroewheelchair.com >> Please see The List of Excellence – 100% Wheelman Recommended Links over to the upper right of this page for the live link. And the link will open to a new tab or window.

From a bad to excellent experience all thanks to Dave. And for anyone wanting to know, I am not related to, do not work for, and am not paid anything in any way for my reviews here. I do not accept payment for a good review. Why? Well if you have a bad experience, it will be my blog you remember as the one who sent you.

No products had been offered in exchange also for a good review, or update post.

For those leaving comments, or wanting to. Please see the Read Me over to the upper right of this page.

Thank you for reading my review.
Wheelman

PS: Please see the List of Excellence page in the upper righthand corner of my page here. You will find Monroe Wheelchair as the first place listed on it.

PPS: I am now working on an award that I hope means more than any other given before. Why? My award is based 100% from a customer’s point of view. The end user of the service and products Monroe Wheelchair offers. I will be making a page devoted to winners of my one of a kind customer awarded awards.

I will be doing this for Products, Services, Blogs, Web-Sites, and such. The details of these awards will be included on the new page for them.

Have you had rotten customer service before? Of course. We all face this nearly everyday at almost every place we do business at, or seen as a patient at. And somehow we only whine most about all of that to each other, and tend to not mention as often the times we find excellent service.

Well a local company to me that sells Durable Medical Equipment called Monroe Wheelchair got off onto the wrong foot with my wife am I. We had gone in person to find replacements for my handrims on a donated standard style wheelchair.

Here is my letter I sent to the owners of that company:

Dear Owner(s), and Dave, of Monroe Wheelchair,

I write to you today to both mention a complaint, and then a kind word or two about Dave Hebert. And I tried to keep this as short as possible, it is two letters in one really. One page each.

My wife’s and my first experience with Monroe Wheelchair was horrid at best. Several months back now, we enter the store in a donated wheelchair to me. A basic standard issue one. Nothing major to it.

The first person we speak to explains you do not sell just handrims. OK, so how about buying some wheels with better handrims than I had. This same person told us between $50.00 to $100.00 for a basic set of wheels with handrims. OK, we had no way to know the prices of these things. And this was all new to us. And this first person was pleasant enough to us.

This first person gets the manager at the time who comes over and proceeds to share with us that you only sell wheels for $500.00 and up. My wife and I then asked OK, what about buying a wheelchair? Now never once did this manager ever take into account my personal needs as a possible first time customer, and a member of the community.

Of those two chairs he would show me nothing that met my needs in any respect. He was very curt, and rude with us. Accused us of having a stolen wheelchair. Would not allow me to explain how I came to have this chair. And talked over us.

I saw that another folding wheelchair is next to the standard ones. I ask about it, and this manager laughs saying that would cost many thousands of dollars. Frankly as far as he knew I have money to spend on my needs or I have a script on hand to get a wheelchair my insurance would cover. He never once explained it to us, showed it to us. Or allowed me to even sit in it for fit. He in effect sent us packing. That is OK, I sent an email to the manufacturer of that other wheelchair explained what took place.

My wife and I made a promise to never use Monroe Wheelchair for anything again. I will not accept that form of service from anyone at all for non health or medical equipment needs. I for sure will not now.

Might I suggest this not happen again. Thank you.

And now for those kind words.

You have a young man David Hebert, Rehab Technology Specialist.

I work for Strong Orthopedics and it would be through them I got Dave’s name as being the very best in all of Upstate Western NY at fitting people in wheelchairs. If his name did not come from them as such I would had found someone else. And it was not an easy choice to trust that Dave would change my feelings about Monroe Wheelchair.

Well first off Dave’s level of customer service lives up to the ads I hear, and the text I read online about Monroe Wheelchair. His service is not just good or very good. It passes all of that and is in the realm of EXCELLENT. Something that is lost today in most all companies, and one I thought lost at Monroe Wheelchair.

I have never sent someone a compliment letter before.

Now you may be asking yourself what can be done to show that Monroe Wheelchair does want lifetime customers, who will tell others to also use them?

Well please do not allow such horrid customer service to be accepted as the norm. That is first thing you can do.

Second and lastly Dave did not only provide excellent customer service to me. He changed my life for the better. That is huge, and the only reason I took the time to write this letter.

Having many of these kinds of letters myself, I know that the letter is often the reward in its own right. And sometimes the boss will step up and give a pen with the company logo on it. Well Dave Hebert CHANGED my life to the better, and I now ask that Monroe Wheelchair’s owners step up and do more than a simple pat on the back for Dave. And also this will provide real good incentive to prevent less than excellent service from happening again. Sorry bad days are to be left at home with the excuses why it happened.

What would show Dave my thanks while showing me that Monroe Wheelchair does care about the customer. And resolve the above horrid issue of less than poor customer service as well.

Allow Dave Hebert his choice of any TiLite model wheelchair in any configuration he wants as his reward for doing such an excellent job. He was the man that showed me what I heard in the ads for Monroe Wheelchair. And he has won me as a lifelong customer, and insured I will be telling many others about your company.

It is of course up to you on how you choose reward Dave, and handle this customer issue.
You can write the reward chair off in your taxes and not take a big hit on the bottom line at all. And gain one very happy lifetime customer, that will add to the bottom line. Dave deserves more than a simple way to go man, and me just saying thank you, does not come close to how much this man has helped me.

Thank you for your time today,
Wheelman

So I sent this off the other day.

So will the owners really award Dave his choice of a wheelchair as I requested? Only time will tell.

What I wanted to highlight though was that yes a bad experience was had here. And now I request a way to resolve it, offer good incentive to prevent it from happening in the future. And even though this took me many days to type up, and deal with the pain I do. I took the time to write it all, and send it.

I think it is time we as people stop with the mediocre, and strive for excellence.

For the owner or that manager of Monroe Wheelchair may one day need my services. If my job is such that life depends on my having a good day or bad one… Karma has this odd way to even things out in the end. And only after learning the hard way myself that, I no longer think of Karma as something my mom made up to scare me.

Thanks for the time spent reading my reviewtoday,
Wheelman

How often is it that we come across customer service that truly excellent? It has been many years for me, and sadly in today’s world less than mediocre service is the accepted standard. This not only covers customer service alone, it includes products also.

Direct TV for one started out with excellent customer service and product. Over the years they have lost that. And now offer less than mediocre service and products. And we see this in many other areas as well. Like Vista for Microsoft, it sure looks pretty. However no people need not only buy the software, but also buy new computer systems to even run it. Or hope they can upgrade enough to run it. And then it is not able to connect to many of the devices used now on the older XP OS. The OS was sent out in a mediocre state at best and the makers hope to patch it together on the fly as it is used.

Those are only two small examples of where things are accepted and the best offered is less than mediocre. President Bush has done way less than mediocre service, and yet he remains in power. he and his entire band of supporters need to be impeached. Yet, he spends billions on something that should had never had happened in the first place. He knew full well that no threat came from the area we are at war with now at least two full weeks before he ordered an attack on Iraq.

He takes from the Social Security fund that he has no right to ever touch. Most every working American pays into this fund so that the elders now in retirement have something to help them. As they also paid into it before us. And so the cycle goes. I have heard many arguments about if the work force is not growing as fast as the people in need of the SS funds can support it will run out. That is possible sure, however the way things had been set up. It was foreseen that such a rebound or bounce effect would one day down the road take place.

Sadly when you have billions, or more growing each second of each day. People want to touch the interest generated from that at first for other needed things. Then once that is not enough, we will take only a few billion for this or that. Before you know it, it is normal to have the funds sucked out for other non SS needs. To do things like fund wars, help re-build countries, pay people off, and all the other crap that goes on behind the closed doors of the government.

Amazingly if the SS funds had never been allowed to be tapped as they have been. We would not be in danger of it running out. The interest generated from that fund should had been put right back into itself. In effect growing it more than the total sum of the income being supplied can alone grow it. Thus in effect padding it for the time when the boomer generations hit the ages to need the funds, they would drain it dry. Wait, no one is supposed to ever really expect interest generated from such a fund to be put back into itself. And we are to never really grasp the concept that the SS fund was to NEVER be touch for any reasons other than to help those who paid into it, when they needed it.

So the ideas of accepting less than mediocre service and products is on all levels, and all areas of life as we know it.

And we keep on accepting it. Why?