In order to present a counter proposal, I needed to determine the approximate cost of my future financial care. I thought that the estimates would be readily available on the Internet. I was wrong! I could not find anything that referred to the lifetime cost of prosthetic care for the average below knee amputee. I had to start from scratch.
I felt overwhelmed and intimidated when I was instructed to develop my lifetime care plan. I didn't know where to begin and, had it not been for a wonderful prosthetist and my extremely knowledgeable friend Dave who was gracious with his time and skill set, I might still be hiding under my comforter crying. I am not sure I can bake enough cookies to thank either of them!
After several drafts, we arrived at the following estimate. I wanted to share this information because it is an issue that many amputees will eventually face during the settlement phase of an insurance case. I am hopeful that many of the frustrations I encountered can be avoided through the sharing of my worksheet.
Each amputee's prosthetic needs are different and their lifetime plan must be individualized. I currently utilize three prosthetics: my Proprio (bionic), my Mod III (sport leg) and my swimming prosthesis. The lifespan of each of these prosthetics is based upon the manufacturers warranty.
This worksheet is simply my projected prosthetic care, including sockets, liners and components. I did not address the costs of future medical care, including revision surgeries, x-rays or medications in this spreadsheet. Obviously the inclusion of future medical needs will increase this figure significantly. That, of course, is another spreadsheet in progress...
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