Paying for a prosthetic limb in this province is prohibitively expensive, decry amputees and their advocates, pointing out the system is broken and overdue for a fix of its own.
“We’re certain that the average Albertan would be shocked to know that if they or a family member lose a limb, they could be faced with a personal balance of thousands of dollars for even the most basic artificial limb that will restore only a semblance of their previous function,” said Alexis McConachie, who directs The War Amps Advocacy Program.
The War Amps is the pre-eminent, century-old organization many people would recognize simply for its key tag service and its PlaySafe advertising campaign. Since the First World War, the association has offered peer support, self-help, and practical assistance, including financial aid and advocacy for the rights and interests of seriously disabled veterans, war amputees, and similar members of the public.
War Amps released its statement in response to Angela Oakley’s struggle to receive funding from the Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) program. The veterinarian and athlete lost her lower left leg after a lengthy bone infection coupled with prolonged treatments and hospitalization. She spent months in a wheelchair but now, after many complications and delays created by the pandemic’s molasses-like effect on contemporary health care, she finally has the high-tech prosthetic that was prescribed by medical professionals.
Now, ask her how much she paid for it. The province’s cap for such necessary devices is $6,000, even though hers cost $57,000. Do the math and you’ll quickly see how much out of pocket the paralympian was to cross-country ski, ride horses, and even walk.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen countless similar cases,” McConachie continued.
“In our many years of experience, we would stress that, in Alberta and indeed across the country, both public and private funding agencies create and adhere to policies that do not reflect a realistic assessment of living with amputation, and that these inadequate policies prevent amputees from being able to access prosthetic care that is medically prescribed and essential to their everyday functionality.”
For those who can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs, the remaining alternative is hobbling. Many turn to crowdfunding campaigns to help pay for their mobility.
Instead, Oakley has established an online petition called "Modernize prosthetic care for amputees in Alberta" on Change.org that is already 75 per cent of the way toward its goal of 2,500 signatures.
Oakley hopes more people and the government realize the financial burden placed on amputees for something that should be as basic as mobility.
"Knees are only warranteed for six years. If I live to an age of, say, mid-80s that's nine knees I will need. At $56,000 each, that's $500,000. Half a million dollars in my lifetime is what I will need to pay for my mobility," she said.
Moral and financial support will help ease the burden for many amputees, the War Amps rep added, but changing the system is what is necessary for progress.
“It is unimaginable in the 21st century that seriously disabled amputees would have to rely on their families and communities in this way to cope with the basic financial requirements,” McConachie continued.
“Hence, as part of The War Amps Crusade for Reform for prosthetic funding, we endeavour to hold all funding agencies, including Alberta’s, to a full accounting on material issues and, case by case, challenge inadequate funding where required.”
