Advocating for Yourself When You Need an Upper Limb Prosthesis

Anecdotally, we have heard that it is easier to obtain a lower limb prosthesis than an upper limb prosthesis. The “logic” behind this is that you need both legs/feet to walk and get around, but you don’t need a hand to walk. That may be true, but daily activities are quite difficult, and sometimes impossible, without both upper limbs and all ten digits. We have found that patients who do their best to communicate consistently with their insurance company have a better chance of getting their prosthetic care authorized. It may not be easy. But fear not! Our whole team of Arm Dynamics clinical specialists and support staff are here for you.

Getting a prosthesis usually involves your insurance provider, unless you plan on paying for the prosthetic care yourself, which is always an option. Insurance companies are not something we expect our patients to be experts on, which is why we have our Justification, Authorization and Billing Team to advocate on your behalf. But, there’s one catch ... we can’t advocate without your help! Even if the insurance carrier issues a denial, which happens often, then we have lots of advice about how to help overturn that denial.

So your device is approved and you’re at one of our centers for your prosthetic fitting and training. You also must speak up here! Just like at the doctor’s office, communication is key. When we are fitting your device, we want to hear exactly what you think of it. Never be afraid of hurting your prosthetist or your clinical therapy specialist’s feelings — their goal is to help you! Does your prosthesis feel right, does it feel comfortable? While there may be some things you need time to get used to with your prosthetic device, always bring up to your clinical team anything that's bothering you. They can let you know what’s normal and what isn’t — and if it isn’t normal, they can fix it. Your prosthetist can work out issues with the programming (for a myoelectric device) or fix issues with the harness (on a body-powered device). Your clinical therapy specialist will spend the time necessary helping you learn how to comfortably use your prosthesis to do all the things you want to do with it.

If you’re back home and something isn’t perfect, don’t be shy. It’s especially important to give us a call. If you don’t live near a center, we may be able to resolve the problem on a video chat or ask you to send us the prosthesis for a quick adjustment.

Our patient Gerry Kinney (pictured below), has some great advice about how your device is supposed to feel and speaking with your prosthetic team:

I tell everybody that how the socket fits is the key. And do not be afraid to tell your prosthetist and therapist when something feels a little off, even if you think it’s just super minor, because they can tweak that stuff. Like when you get home and start doing different things with your prosthesis and maybe there's a place where it feels a little loose or it rubs. I don’t have a problem of telling them about it because that is what they want to know. They can’t make it better for you if you don't let them know.

The patients that have the most success are the ones that stand up for themselves throughout the entire process. But you don’t have to stand up alone! Our different teams are always there to support you. Your prosthetic success is what we wake up to work toward every day.

Would you like to learn more about how we can help you obtain a comfortable and functional prosthesis? Please contact us. Or if you’ve been through the process and have any suggestions for your peers, please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

For more information, see related Arm Dynamics articles here:

• How to Advocate for Yourself When Dealing with Your Insurance Provider
• How Our Justification, Authorization and Billing Team Helps Advocate on Your Behalf
• Getting Your Prosthetic Device: Your Guide to the Appeals Process
• Our Arm Dynamics Prosthetists
• Introduction to Myoelectric Prostheses