Long ordeal Young woman loses leg - IV does not want to pay for suitable prosthesis
The IV refuses to pay for the right model: A young woman loses her leg - and then fights for a prosthesis for almost three years. The case shows how strictly costs are put before quality of life.
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- After a long history of suffering, including a lower leg amputation, a 31-year-old woman has been fighting with the IV for almost three years to obtain funding for a suitable prosthesis.
- The responsible IV office in Obwalden rejected a recommended model: it was too expensive and was considered "simple and appropriate".
- In the end, the woman had to pay for her prosthesis herself: She received a lot of support from a crowdfunding campaign.
Anyone who becomes disabled in Switzerland should actually be able to rely on receiving the best possible care from the IV. But this is not always the case, as a case reported in the "Beobachter" shows.
It concerns a 31-year-old woman. She was always sporty, but in 2015, at the age of 21, she suffered a cruciate ligament injury that refused to heal. The pain worsened constantly and at some point was "like a knife in the leg". Finally, in early 2023, her lower right leg had to be amputated.
The woman has been fighting for almost three years to get the right leg prosthesis financed for her. However, according to the "Beobachter", the Obwalden disability insurance fund has so far refused.
IV only pays for "simple and appropriate" aids
Specialists had recommended a high-tech prosthesis to the patient. During the test, the woman felt safe and experienced less pain. And: the social worker could walk backwards, swim and cycle with it.
However, the disability insurance office does not want to cover the high costs of around 60,000 francs and instead only wants to finance a model that is half as expensive. According to the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), the high-tech prosthesis is not "simple and appropriate" for a job as a social worker.
However, this criterion is decisive. According to a letter from 2006, insured persons are "not entitled to the best possible treatment in individual cases".
The patient did not understand the reasoning. She was not interested in "the best possible care", but in having "less pain and more security", as she told the "Beobachter".
She is now frustrated and angry: "Switzerland talks about inclusion, but the IV only pays for the bare minimum". Support comes from the Promembro association, which looks after the interests of prosthetic arm and leg users: "The IV insinuates that those affected want a Ferrari among prostheses, but they don't want the latest model, but one that fits them and doesn't cause pain," Thomas Raaflaub, Secretary for German-speaking Switzerland, is quoted as saying.
Those affected overwhelmed by solidarity
The Obwalden IV office did not wish to comment on the specific case. It simply stated that the IV wants "insured persons to remain employed or improve their ability to work".
Thomas Raaflaub from Promebro acknowledges that the high prices for prostheses are a problem. The reason for this is the quasi-monopoly positions of a few suppliers, who therefore hardly feel any price pressure.
In the meantime, the woman concerned has found a way to finance her prosthesis. A crowdfunding campaign even raised more money than she needed. She was overwhelmed by the great solidarity.
Now she and a friend want to "found an association for people without a standard body", reports the "Beobachter". The aim is to bring people with similar experiences together and to draw the attention of politicians to the problem.
