No one in Texas wants to hire an interpreter!

Lucia,

I have another suggestion. What about going to the ER, explaining how much pain you are in to the point where you need a wheelchair and getting a terp that way? This would allow you to see a doctor who could possibly write a prescription for a wheelchair.
 
Lucia, I´m truly sorry what and how you had through. It´s totally speechless... I thought I would suggest you to look for another doctors but ADers already offered their positive suggestion to you here.

I thought Etolie´s links is good... Like what Jillo say, try then you never know that they take your situation serious. Why not try it?

You should show your positive up... How about legal adviser in your area? It cost you nothing...
 
Hear Again said:
That's true. I'm pretty certain that Medicaid would approve an additional appointment as long as her doctor indicated that it was an emergency visit.
Click to expand...

Here's the beauty of it....

She wouldn't NEED an extra appt!

All she would have to do is place a relay call into the office and ask the receptionist to pass a note to her doctor for the script! Barring that, she can just get the script in May. Lucia said she needed the chair now!!!, but that's NOT going to happen! In a perfect world, if she got the script, it would still take months for her to get a chair. After she gets the script, she needs to be measured for a chair. Then, she waits for medicaid approval. Best case scenerio is she gets a chair within a month after getting her script. Worse case scenerio up to a year. This has been my experience and I've been going through this process since birth. However, this is with Medicaid. She may have better luck on timeframe since she also has Medicare.

I wish her luck. The bottom line is, initiative. She needs to take some of the suggestions here under advisement and decide what to do about her situation. There's some awesome suggestions here from other ADers. I hope she follows through with something soon.
 
Ocean,

If she needs a wheelchair now, another option is to find a used wheelchair at a medical supply store and pay for it out of pocket. I don't know how expensive used wheelchairs are, but perhaps that would be another avenue for her to explore.
 
Hear Again said:
Ocean,

If she needs a wheelchair now, another option is to find a used wheelchair at a medical supply store and pay for it out of pocket. I don't know how expensive used wheelchairs are, but perhaps that would be another avenue for her to explore.
Click to expand...

That would cost thousands. My chair costs Medicaid 2K. A power chair or schooter would cost up to 20K. She is better off going the insurance route or trying to find an organization like Easter Seals to pay for one.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
That would cost thousands. My chair costs Medicaid 2K. A power chair or schooter would cost up to 20K. She is better off going the insurance route or trying to find an organization like Easter Seals to pay for one.
Click to expand...

I had no idea used wheelchairs were that expensive.

Right now I'm at a loss as to what else I can suggest.

Having said that, I think contacting Easter Seals or the Lions Club is an excellent idea.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
Here's the beauty of it....

She wouldn't NEED an extra appt!

All she would have to do is place a relay call into the office and ask the receptionist to pass a note to her doctor for the script! Barring that, she can just get the script in May. Lucia said she needed the chair now!!!, but that's NOT going to happen! In a perfect world, if she got the script, it would still take months for her to get a chair. After she gets the script, she needs to be measured for a chair. Then, she waits for medicaid approval. Best case scenerio is she gets a chair within a month after getting her script. Worse case scenerio up to a year. This has been my experience and I've been going through this process since birth. However, this is with Medicaid. She may have better luck on timeframe since she also has Medicare.

I wish her luck. The bottom line is, initiative. She needs to take some of the suggestions here under advisement and decide what to do about her situation. There's some awesome suggestions here from other ADers. I hope she follows through with something soon.
Click to expand...

wwwhhhhaaaaaatttt????? a month under best case scenario??? and up to a year under worst case scenario??? omfg!

and obviously a lot shorter than a month if you have a private health insurance, right??
 
I suppose the title should state some doctors in San Antonio won't hire.... Seeing how some people in other areas of Texas isn't having problems. I lived in San Antonio for about 2 years it is a pain in the ass to use their systems but that's such as life. You either fight for it or you don't..that's just the way it is sometimes
 
Jiro said:
wwwhhhhaaaaaatttt????? a month under best case scenario??? and up to a year under worst case scenario??? omfg!

and obviously a lot shorter than a month if you have a private health insurance, right??
Click to expand...

Yup! Medicaid is a riot and a half! It's just how it is, I'm afraid. When I lived in Maryland, it took us 6 mos to get a chair for me. When I moved to FL ten years ago, and it was time to get a new chair, I was *amazed* that it only took a month to get the chair!

As to your question about private insurance, I honestly have no idea how long it would take because I've always been covered by Medicaid due to pre-existing condition clauses.

But, like I've also said, Lucia may have better luck with Medicare.
 
Hear Again said:
I had no idea used wheelchairs were that expensive.

Right now I'm at a loss as to what else I can suggest.

Having said that, I think contacting Easter Seals or the Lions Club is an excellent idea.
Click to expand...

I agree. Especially, if she needs a loaner while she is waiting for approval for a chair.
 
I'm completely gobsmacked about the whole wheelchair thing! :mad2: i didn't know it takes that long to receive one and I also didn't know that you have to be measured for it. I always thought it's one-for-all (except a more specialized wheelchair)

when i read the cost of wheelchair, my eyes fall out.
 
Jiro said:
I'm completely gobsmacked about the whole wheelchair thing! :mad2: i didn't know it takes that long to receive one and I also didn't know that you have to be measured for it. I always thought it's one-for-all (except a more specialized wheelchair)
Click to expand...

Ocean can correct me if I'm wrong, but a person's legs need to be measured as well as their waist and back. I knew someone who was very obese as a child that used a wheelchair. Because of her size, she required a much wider chair than usual. Some people may also have difficulty using their hands and may need special controls in order to manipulate a wheelchair or scooter.
 
Jiro said:
I'm completely gobsmacked about the whole wheelchair thing! :mad2: i didn't know it takes that long to receive one and I also didn't know that you have to be measured for it. I always thought it's one-for-all (except a more specialized wheelchair)

when i read the cost of wheelchair, my eyes fall out.
Click to expand...

Hear Again said:
Ocean can correct me if I'm wrong, but a person's legs need to be measured as well as their waist and back. I knew someone who was very obese as a child that used a wheelchair. Because of her size, she required a much wider chair than usual. Some people may also have difficulty using their hands and may need special controls in order to manipulate a wheelchair or scooter.
Click to expand...

That's correct. Measurements need to be taken for back height, leg length for the feet rest, and, seat depth.
 
Texan Guy said:
Jesus Christ, take some friggin' chill pills, lady!

I am well aware of San Antonio since I have a several friends down there and visit there many times especially deaf events as well as the deaf flag football team. I was just saying that you could visit the doctors in Austin with the help of your guy, not moving to Austin. Man, I'm done with your bitching, Lucia.
Click to expand...

Texan,

I cannot get to Austin. My fiance does not have a car of his own, he has to borrow his grandfather's truck to go to work, and he is only limited to the northeast area of San Antonio because the truck is nearly 30 years old and not very reliable and could break down anytime, and we could get stranded out in the country. We need a reliable car to get to Austin but my fiance cannot afford one right now given the state of the economy. So, we are not able to travel to Austin on a frequent basis to visit doctors. I apologize for sounding like a bitch, I've just been quite frustrated lately. I have been to Austin, only because I had friends going to very large deaf events there, such as the Deaf Expo, and I arrange to ride with them, but that is usually about once a year or so.
 
Hear Again said:
Lucia,

I have another suggestion. What about going to the ER, explaining how much pain you are in to the point where you need a wheelchair and getting a terp that way? This would allow you to see a doctor who could possibly write a prescription for a wheelchair.
Click to expand...

The ER at the nearest hospital that I go to, is terrible. I have to wait 6 hours just to get into an exam room that has INTERNET ACCESS for VRI (and there are only TWO rooms that has internet access!!! The other 20 rooms does not have internet access, and they do not reserve the 2 rooms for deaf patients, they use these rooms for other patients no matter what), because they no longer provide interpreters (interpreters that can actually come to the ER) but instead they use VRI (Video Remote Interpreting). I hate VRI! It's...just not so user friendly, and the doctor walks around and the TV can't walk to follow the doctor like an interpreter that is actually in the ER with me can, making it very difficult for me to communicate with the doctor because I like for the interpreter to stand next to the doctor so I can watch the interpreter sign ASL while reading the doctor's lips and his face expressions (I move my eyes back and forth to and from the interpreter and the doctor). If I can't have an interpreter right next to the doctor, I lose a lot of what the doctor says in translation. I think the hospital did this to save money, someone told me that VRI is cheaper than providing an interpreter who actually comes into the ER. I do support VRI in very rural area such as Eagle Pass and El Paso, where there are hardly any interpreters, but here in the San Antonio there is no excuse for not providing an interpreter that can come because we have enough interpreters here. So, I do not like to go to the ER. I am not in enough pain to warrant an ER visit anyway. I have a doctor who manages my pain anyway, so I do not need the ER unless I have a severe breakthrough pain episode. I really do not want to waste their time and waste space (exam room) that could be used for other patients that actually need them.

Note: They used to provide interpreters that actually come into the ER but they stopped doing it about two years ago. I'm not happy.
 
sorry to hear about this horrible situation.

none of these would happen if the economy haven't gone bad like how it is right now.
 
Hear Again said:
Ocean,

If she needs a wheelchair now, another option is to find a used wheelchair at a medical supply store and pay for it out of pocket. I don't know how expensive used wheelchairs are, but perhaps that would be another avenue for her to explore.
Click to expand...

I'm on SSI/SS. My total income from SSI/SS is slightly less than $700. My rent is $460 and will be hiked up to $560 once I renew my lease for another year because we have new owners and I can't afford to move, even though I hate this neighborhood. I also have utilities and sewer and water and central AC/Heating and internet and phone bills as well as paying for prepaid airtime for my sidekick. After all that, I don't have very much left. Do the math. I don't even have enough money for food, so I also rely on food stamps to take care of that. If I didn't have food stamps I would starve to death. So, I have to get my chair though Medicaid and Medicare. Oceanbreeze is also correct about the process of getting a chair though Medicaid, it can take months. I was hoping to get the chair before June 6th so that I could go to Six Flags for the Deaf Day event there and not have to shell out $60 to rent their crappy chairs...it is $40 for deposit and then $20 for rental, total $60 which I do not have and which my fiance usually ends up having to pay. I feel really bad that he has to pay for it.
 
Back
Top