Paying for prosthetics
Eight-year-old Darrius Simmons is climbing the walls in his Warren home, his legs stuck on either side of the white walls as he manages to get about a little over a foot above the red carpet below. “Hold on, I can go higher. I almost had it,” he says, stumbling and raising his leg to a 90 degree angle. Without a prosthesis, Simmons, who has tibial hemimelia with congenital deformities in both of his legs, climbs walls and does front flips on the trampoline. With a prosthesis, which he has worn since age two, he is able to maintain a normal life. However, because of an insurance coverage change, paying for a new prosthesis for her son will be more challenging for Tamara Simmons. As of August 2007, Simmons’ insurance covers only $4,000 per year for prosthetics. On average, prosthetic care costs her $16,000 to $17,000. Simmons said she got the wind knocked out of her when she found out about the coverage cap.
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