Homeless Ontario amputee seeks 'financial miracle' after finding out $60K prosthetic won't be covered
CTV
An amputee living out of his car in Oakville, Ont. fears he may have to forfeit the ability to walk after finding out that the prosthetic he requires will cost him tens of thousands of dollars upfront, alongside a lifetime of maintenance expenses.
An amputee living out of his car in Oakville, Ont. fears he may have to forfeit the ability to walk after finding out that the prosthetic he requires will cost him tens of thousands of dollars upfront, alongside a lifetime of maintenance expenses.
“I was in complete and utter shock,” Thomas Mohr told CTV News Toronto in an interview last week. “I paid my taxes for 52 years and I ended up like this."
Mohr said he was recently told he was not a candidate for Ontario's Assistive Devices Program (ADP), a program which covers a portion of the funds needed for most prosthetic limbs, as the model he requires is too complex a fit.
To get the correct fit, he will need at least US$60,000 upfront, he says.
The problem, according to Annelise Petlock, Manager of Member Programs with The War Amps, is far more widespread than most would like to believe.
“Canadians are often shocked to learn that if they lose a limb, they'll be on the hook to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for even the most basic forms of artificial limbs,” Petlock told CTV News Toronto Tuesday.
Petlock likens the ADP to a "band-aid on a gaping wound," or a short-term solution in need of upgrading.
