When someone loses a limb, they often get a prosthetic device. But many of those devices cannot get wet or are made in a way that don’t allow the recipient the full range of use they’d need to participate in athletics. But two lawmakers are working on a bill they say will make better quality devices available to 250,000 Ohioans.
Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) said not all prosthetics are created equal: some can't get wet or don't have a range of movement that allows them to participate in a lot of activities.
"The cost of not being able to move, he continued, is a loss of freedom, dignity and possibility as well as a forced isolation," Jarrells said.
The prosthetics and orthotics can cost thousands of dollars. Jarrells says there are grants available for some families but said Ohio families shouldn't have to rely on those. He said he wants the bill, which he plans to sponsor with Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), would require private health insurers in Ohio to cover prosthetic or orthotic devices deemed medically necessary by a physician. He said it's similar to the "So Every Body Can Move" legislation that has passed in about a dozen other states, and adds that legislation has not increased the cost of insurance significantly in those states.
“The current system, as is, is convoluted, complicated and ultimately unmanageable in terms of getting someone a mobility device that can truly give them the independence they deserve," Jarrells said.
Jarrells said the legislation here in Ohio will not cap costs of devices and maintains current requirements regarding the frequency of replacement.
Dr. Victoria Heasley, a doctor who supports this legislation, said it's important to allow people to get as much movement as possible.
"Physical activity improves cardiovascular health, mental health, bone density and social connection, but for individuals with limb loss or physical disabilities, participation in sports is often limited, not by ability but by access, and particularly when the cost of activity-specific prosthetics are an out-of-pocket expense," Heasley said.
The legislation is not in bill form yet but Jarrells said they hope to introduce the bill soon.
