Federal report shines light on issues those living with lost limbs have in US healthcare system

WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans are living with the loss of all or part of an arm or a leg. A new report shows the challenges those losses present when those Americans try to get access to the care they need.

Channel 2 Washington Correspondent Samantha Manning reviewed the latest information from the US. Government Accountability Office, showing what the hurdles are in the American healthcare system for those who have had a limb amputated.

Losing all or part of a limb is a life-changing experience and it can come with a major physical, emotional and financial toll.

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“I think it’s important to know that any of us can lose a limb for any reason,” Ashlie White, Chief Strategy and Programs Officer for the Amputee Coalition, said.

The Amputee Coalition says more than 5.5 million people have either lost a limb or were born without all or part of a limb in the United States.

The report from USGAO said in most cases, people lost all or part of an arm or leg due to disease or traumatic injuries.

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White told Channel 2 Action News that health declines happen fast if patients don’t get care in time.

“If they don’t receive the appropriate care in a timely manner immediately after that amputation, the decline begins,” White said.

The findings warn that those with limb loss and with Medicare have trouble accessing the care they need, like getting prosthetic limbs and coordinating various parts of treatment and care between different doctors and hospitals.

“That’s a failure of the system, right? If those individuals don’t get access to rehabilitation and prosthetic care,” White said.

She pointed out there have been many positive steps when it comes to care for people with limb loss and pointed to expanded coverage for advanced technology that can help prevent falls.

Still, White said that more needs to be done to ensure those living with limb loss get the support they need.

“Amputation does not mean that a person’s life ends,” White said. “We need to make sure that the journey on the other side of an amputation is something that an individual believes can be a positive experience and full and healthy lifestyle for them.”

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