An Amigo in Need is a Friend Indeed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) August 24, 2011 -- Grand Rapids, Aug 17, 2011: The commercial world of power scooters is a lot more dangerous than one might think.

Recently, the men and women of Michigan-based scooter company Amigo have been voicing their unhappiness with the current Medicare procedure. Company founder Al Thieme revealed that customers have been calling him, lamenting over the fact that they thought they were going to get a three-wheeled scooter from Amigo, but instead are given a four-wheeled power wheelchair from another company.

That wide, open expanse of Medicare-land is terrifying enough without all the “GO THIS WAY” signs posted every few feet. The trouble, says Thieme, is when people are offered a more expensive item for a lower price, they feel obligated to acquire it – when in reality, the majority of beneficiaries should not be confining themselves to a full-on wheelchair.

This struggle is nothing new. In 2005, the Scooter Store (a Texas-based power wheelchair company) found itself embroiled in a lawsuit filed by none other than the United States Department of Justice. The DOJ cited the Scooter Store for fraudulent claims and misleading marketing – leading citizens to believe that having Medicaid pay for the entirety of a wheelchair from them was the only sensible option from getting a scooter from “the other guys”.

Six years later, and “the other guys” are painfully aware that a vast percentage of prescribed four-wheel power wheelchairs are not medically necessary. What are Thieme and Amigo to do? The company still fields calls that the swapped wheelchairs are cumbersome, limiting, and a challenge to operate.

Wheelchair or not, remember that you don’t have to do insurance alone. Let us at Access Insurance Agencies guide you through your best options, personally – rather than taking down your information on a checklist.

If you need to add to existing coverage, or switch to us, just stop by Access Insurance Agencies 2258 28th St. Grand Rapids, MI, visit www.accessgr.com, or call (616)245-5555. We would love to help!