POLK COUNTY, Fla — A woman claims a medical supply company left her sidelined after delivering gear she couldn’t use safely, even though her doctor ordered it to help her walk.
Elizabeth Anderson is used to getting around obstacles. These days, she relies on a walker, but even that can’t slow her down. Something she showed off during one of her daily neighborhood walks.
“I don’t like being inside,” Anderson said. “Usually I go the rest of this block, then the next one.”
Now that she’s turned 92 years old, some parts of her aren’t keeping up the pace.
“Your balance is just miserable,” Anderson said. “Any little crack or bump will just knock me over.”
Anderson said her doctor recommended she switch to an upright walker. She said the goal was to alleviate the stress on her back as it’s become progressively more hunched.
“I wanted to try that to try to straighten up more,” Anderson said.
Airlife Medical, an Auburndale-based medical supply company, provided the new walker. Anderson shared a copy of the bill with ABC Action News, showing part of the walker was covered by Medicare and Anderson paid the balance of $125.
“They knew how tall I was, they had 5 feet,” Anderson said as she pointed to a form for Airlife.
Anderson said the walker that showed up was so big she couldn’t use it safely, it was almost the same size as her.
“It’s really so tall that for me it’s not safe,” Anderson said. “That one is just the wrong size, for someone who’s about 6 ft tall it’s probably just right but I lack about 12 inches.”
Anderson said the company’s delivery driver recognized the walker may not be a fit.
“If it’s not suitable if you can’t use it, we’ll exchange,” she recalled of their conversation.
A couple of days later, during a phone call with Airlife, Anderson said there was a different response.
“They just said well that’s too bad, you paid for it, it’s yours,” Anderson said.
When ABC Action News reached out to Airlife owner Rick Brauckmuller said he had not heard this happened and he’d investigate it. Within hours, Brauckmuller said he ordered a smaller walker at no additional cost to Anderson.
Airlife turned down a chance to do an interview. Brauckmuller called it a miscommunication and indicated his company lives up to the promise on its website, “Our patients are No. 1. We do everything in our power to make sure they are happy and they stay that way.”
Since Medicare paid for part of the cost of the walker, it provides some protections for patients.
Medicare will investigate complaints with “durable medical equipment,” which includes walkers. Medicare also requires supply companies to take complaints from patients and respond to them within five days and then provide a written response with the investigation results within 14 days.
A disabled veteran bought solar panels to reduce energy costs, but he could lose his home after learning that the financing he thought he was approved for fell through. The I-Team is digging into how the homeowner applied for a loan that wasn’t even available in his county and who stands to benefit.