Urgent: Ongoing Denials of Medically Necessary Power Wheelchair

Dear United Healthcare Representative,

I am writing to express my deep frustration and concern regarding the continued delays and denials related to my request for a medically necessary power wheelchair.

My first wheelchair evaluation and measurement took place on February 26, 2024. Since then, I have faced multiple insurance denials, with little to no explanation that addresses the seriousness of my medical condition and the physical toll this delay has caused. Despite my efforts to remain patient, it is now July, and I am still without the wheelchair that I urgently need.

By March 9, nearly two weeks after Easter, I learned that my request was denied again—this time because United Healthcare will not cover a power wheelchair and instead offered coverage for a manual one. As someone living with spastic hemiplegia cerebral palsy, I cannot safely or independently use a manual wheelchair. I have limited to no use of my right hand and require powered mobility for my daily functioning and independence.

This continued denial is not just inconvenient—it is inhumane and dangerous. My current wheelchair no longer fits my body, causes significant physical pain, and has directly contributed to a severe decline in my health. I have gone from 200 lbs to 136 lbs, and the emotional stress surrounding this situation has made me physically ill on several occasions. I tried to set it aside during the holidays to focus on my health and family, but the problem remains—and it is urgent.

I am pleading with United Healthcare to reassess this decision immediately. Denying medically necessary equipment to someone with a lifelong disability is not only a failure of care—it’s a failure of basic human compassion and compliance with disability rights.

Please contact me or my care team as soon as possible with a clear resolution and next steps. I am more than willing to provide additional documentation or attend a review if necessary.

This wheelchair is not a luxury—it is my lifeline.

Sincerely,
Shannon Szymanski