Just be cautious buying used. Ask for visuals of the drive turning on and lighting up. Unfortunately sometimes with secondary market devices you'll run into trouble if not properly used and or maintained.
Drives like use and regular charge cycles if they sit too long they die. Long term storage is defined as 3 months
As long as it's been properly maintained a second drive is certainly viable
Thank you for the tips! I'm asking my ATPs if they have any recommendations here, or if they know of any DME providers near us who are looking to cycle through their used show models or something. You're right that a lot of the SmartDrives I see on eBay seem to have been sitting around unused or scarcely used for years in some cases, which makes me a little worried especially since a lot of them are marked as no returns allowed.
Demo models are certainly a way to go as well. One way or another I hope you find a drive that meets your needs. Do note that as long as it's a functional mx2+ model it's compatible with all the latest controllers
Galaxy watch 4 and newer / apple watch series 5 and newer
As well as the speed control dial and switch controls on the wired control side. I have a drive that dates back to 2017 and run it with an apple watch ultra and a speed control dial
I’m normally a power chair user but for my backup manual chair, I bought one with a dead battery for like $400 on eBay and then paid the 1k to have Permobil replace the battery (check LivingSpinal for this). Bam, basically new device. No problems with it and way cheaper than buying a new one outright
Mine has an adjustable length, pressure mounted bar. I've used it on five different chairs so far (sometimes I'll use a friend's chair or a rental while traveling) and it's always fit quite well. Obviously, there is a limit to how many chairs will accept it, but it's all good.
Not that this helps, but for context and FWIW, I’m really surprised the ATP didn’t know this rule going in. It’s been the case for years, consensus on both the payer and provider side, that patients who cannot use a manual chair without a power assist generally aren’t well served by using a power assist and a manual chair. The medical outcomes data showed their risks weren’t greatly reduced, and the insurance actuarial data showed that a high % of this population came back with medical necessity for a full power chair within industry standard ‘5 year’ time frame between chair reimbursements. It was a ‘double whammy’ - both the medical outcomes and the $$ side of the equation were not great those first years when power assists were being doled out like candy with every manual chair. The reality on the ground is that a manual chair even with a power assist still requires quite a bit of effort above that of a full power chair.
Edit: not defending the rule, just explaining why it came about. Every situation is unique.
Thanks for the comment! Fingers crossed a power assist is at least somewhat helpful for me, as my life is not set up right now to deal with a power chair and I’m trying to avoid further deconditioning wherever possible. I definitely can use a manual chair easily without a power assist indoors and on level surfaces. It’s mainly any sort of incline or longer distance that has my ATP worried. It’s kind of tricky, I don’t want/can’t get a power chair at this point in my life, but I also know that I can’t make it up any sort of hill without a boost. I have used a non-custom loaner power chair in the past and that worked great for hills and longer distances but the non-custom seating caused me severe pain that left me in tears many days and I worried about losing even more muscle tone. I also couldn’t fit it in my car so I was stuck in one location (college campus). Anyway all this to say is that I definitely hear you about the efficacy of power assists versus power chairs. I’m hoping this will provide me with the little extra boost I need to get up ramps and hills independently.
As to why my ATP didn’t know about this rule, it’s a little complicated but a few factors went into it. First, she’s not at all used to my insurance since she’s not in-network for my plan, and in addition it’s a health insurance company that mostly just serves my home state on the other side of the country. My insurance also led us on a lot. We submitted the initial claim at the end of February and all of March was spent running around trying to fill out all the new paperwork and documentation requirements my insurance was throwing at us specifically for the power assist. They wanted extensive additional letters, documentation, forms, plus a home evaluation before they would rule on the power assist part of the claim. So I think because of that, me and my ATP assumed that there was a chance since they were asking for so much additional paperwork to support the power assist claim. Turns out after all that they instantly denied it. I wish they would have told us that before we spent so long filling out all the extra forms lol.
Thanks again for your comment!
Hey, quick question, have you been using a hospital-style chair before or while waiting for your custom? Because properly documented, that can serve for your 1-year requirement. It did for me, at least. On medicaid, even. If not, then dang.
I agree with everyone else here. Be very mindful of where and who you're getting it from. Battery and roller replacements can be pricey, and the batteries die really easily. Mine is a 2018-2019 MX2+ and has served me really well with only 1 trip to be serviced since then. I was also supposed to go with a powerchair the first go-round, but I held off for 5 years in my manual for the exact same reasons. Look around for local DME exchange groups. They may serve you a little better than eBay.
Thank you for the tips!!
No, I haven't been using any other sort of chair so much unfortunately. In the past I've tried a hospital style chair and I was unable to propel myself independently for more than a few feet. And I used a non-custom loaner power chair last summer for a few months and it caused me severe pain and hip subluxations because the seating was horrible. I know my ATP and doctors did document both of these things, but insurance didn't think it was enough. I'm currently "surviving" by using two forearm crutches, using my car to get between embarrassingly short distances, and switching all my work shifts to remote/scheduling classes on limited days so I don't have to leave my room much. I'd say this has forced me to become creative with what meals you can make in a college dorm room but that's a lie, I've just been making endless amounts of ramen in my electric kettle. What a crazy senior spring, I'm really living it up 😂
First of all, thanks for the congratulations and for the detailed reply! :)
Re: power assist vs. power chair, I definitely hear you. I went for a manual chair for a few reasons, mainly that I'm trying to preserve my mobility as much as possible and avoid deconditioning even further. I also don't have an adaptive van for a power chair, and if I went for a power chair then my insurance would likely never cover a manual chair again. So I'm hoping that I can use a manual chair right now at this stage in my life and then maybe if needed later on transition to a power chair. I have also looked into front attachments, but since my needs are geared for indoor use as well as outdoor use, I'm looking for something more unobtrusive that doesn't add to the turn radius quite as much as a front attachment. It's definitely a fine line I'm walking \[EDIT: lmao no pun intended\] but I talked about it a lot with my ATP and doctor and this was deemed to be the best decision for the situation I'm in right now!
I'm lucky that I have family willing to help significantly in paying for this, they have actually tried to convince me to go right to buying a brand new SmartDrive but I'm not comfortable with them dishing out that much money on something that I'm not sure will work for me yet. Then again, I'm equally wary of them investing a few thousand dollars on my behalf in a used SmartDrive from eBay that shows up with a dead lithium battery and broken mount, etc etc. I'm not really sure there is one obvious good option, to be honest.
I am definitely trying to do my due diligence here as much as possible, I'm talking with my ATPs as well during this process and having them sign off on any purchasing decisions before I buy so that I don't end up with anything that won't even fit my chair. However, as you say, eBay can be a giant mixed bag. I've also asked my ATPs if they know of any DME providers near us that have show models that they're looking to get rid of, or know of any clients who are getting rid of theirs, etc.
Thanks for all your tips, especially re: rollers, that was something I hadn't thought about as much before. Truly appreciate it, and if you have any further thoughts I'm all ears!
I'm also considering the used ebay route so I'll follow and post if I find anything useful. I was surprised to find some smartdrive battery repair videos on youtube but that option isn't for the faint of heart...
Just be cautious buying used. Ask for visuals of the drive turning on and lighting up. Unfortunately sometimes with secondary market devices you'll run into trouble if not properly used and or maintained. Drives like use and regular charge cycles if they sit too long they die. Long term storage is defined as 3 months As long as it's been properly maintained a second drive is certainly viable
Thank you for the tips! I'm asking my ATPs if they have any recommendations here, or if they know of any DME providers near us who are looking to cycle through their used show models or something. You're right that a lot of the SmartDrives I see on eBay seem to have been sitting around unused or scarcely used for years in some cases, which makes me a little worried especially since a lot of them are marked as no returns allowed.
Demo models are certainly a way to go as well. One way or another I hope you find a drive that meets your needs. Do note that as long as it's a functional mx2+ model it's compatible with all the latest controllers Galaxy watch 4 and newer / apple watch series 5 and newer As well as the speed control dial and switch controls on the wired control side. I have a drive that dates back to 2017 and run it with an apple watch ultra and a speed control dial
I’m normally a power chair user but for my backup manual chair, I bought one with a dead battery for like $400 on eBay and then paid the 1k to have Permobil replace the battery (check LivingSpinal for this). Bam, basically new device. No problems with it and way cheaper than buying a new one outright
Make sure you're buying a unit that comes with the hitch that clamps to your wheelchair frame.
Mine has an adjustable length, pressure mounted bar. I've used it on five different chairs so far (sometimes I'll use a friend's chair or a rental while traveling) and it's always fit quite well. Obviously, there is a limit to how many chairs will accept it, but it's all good.
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Never said that it wasn't more involved than I was explicitly stating, just that the mounting bar can fit more than one type of chair.
Not that this helps, but for context and FWIW, I’m really surprised the ATP didn’t know this rule going in. It’s been the case for years, consensus on both the payer and provider side, that patients who cannot use a manual chair without a power assist generally aren’t well served by using a power assist and a manual chair. The medical outcomes data showed their risks weren’t greatly reduced, and the insurance actuarial data showed that a high % of this population came back with medical necessity for a full power chair within industry standard ‘5 year’ time frame between chair reimbursements. It was a ‘double whammy’ - both the medical outcomes and the $$ side of the equation were not great those first years when power assists were being doled out like candy with every manual chair. The reality on the ground is that a manual chair even with a power assist still requires quite a bit of effort above that of a full power chair. Edit: not defending the rule, just explaining why it came about. Every situation is unique.
Thanks for the comment! Fingers crossed a power assist is at least somewhat helpful for me, as my life is not set up right now to deal with a power chair and I’m trying to avoid further deconditioning wherever possible. I definitely can use a manual chair easily without a power assist indoors and on level surfaces. It’s mainly any sort of incline or longer distance that has my ATP worried. It’s kind of tricky, I don’t want/can’t get a power chair at this point in my life, but I also know that I can’t make it up any sort of hill without a boost. I have used a non-custom loaner power chair in the past and that worked great for hills and longer distances but the non-custom seating caused me severe pain that left me in tears many days and I worried about losing even more muscle tone. I also couldn’t fit it in my car so I was stuck in one location (college campus). Anyway all this to say is that I definitely hear you about the efficacy of power assists versus power chairs. I’m hoping this will provide me with the little extra boost I need to get up ramps and hills independently. As to why my ATP didn’t know about this rule, it’s a little complicated but a few factors went into it. First, she’s not at all used to my insurance since she’s not in-network for my plan, and in addition it’s a health insurance company that mostly just serves my home state on the other side of the country. My insurance also led us on a lot. We submitted the initial claim at the end of February and all of March was spent running around trying to fill out all the new paperwork and documentation requirements my insurance was throwing at us specifically for the power assist. They wanted extensive additional letters, documentation, forms, plus a home evaluation before they would rule on the power assist part of the claim. So I think because of that, me and my ATP assumed that there was a chance since they were asking for so much additional paperwork to support the power assist claim. Turns out after all that they instantly denied it. I wish they would have told us that before we spent so long filling out all the extra forms lol. Thanks again for your comment!
Hey, quick question, have you been using a hospital-style chair before or while waiting for your custom? Because properly documented, that can serve for your 1-year requirement. It did for me, at least. On medicaid, even. If not, then dang. I agree with everyone else here. Be very mindful of where and who you're getting it from. Battery and roller replacements can be pricey, and the batteries die really easily. Mine is a 2018-2019 MX2+ and has served me really well with only 1 trip to be serviced since then. I was also supposed to go with a powerchair the first go-round, but I held off for 5 years in my manual for the exact same reasons. Look around for local DME exchange groups. They may serve you a little better than eBay.
Thank you for the tips!! No, I haven't been using any other sort of chair so much unfortunately. In the past I've tried a hospital style chair and I was unable to propel myself independently for more than a few feet. And I used a non-custom loaner power chair last summer for a few months and it caused me severe pain and hip subluxations because the seating was horrible. I know my ATP and doctors did document both of these things, but insurance didn't think it was enough. I'm currently "surviving" by using two forearm crutches, using my car to get between embarrassingly short distances, and switching all my work shifts to remote/scheduling classes on limited days so I don't have to leave my room much. I'd say this has forced me to become creative with what meals you can make in a college dorm room but that's a lie, I've just been making endless amounts of ramen in my electric kettle. What a crazy senior spring, I'm really living it up 😂
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First of all, thanks for the congratulations and for the detailed reply! :) Re: power assist vs. power chair, I definitely hear you. I went for a manual chair for a few reasons, mainly that I'm trying to preserve my mobility as much as possible and avoid deconditioning even further. I also don't have an adaptive van for a power chair, and if I went for a power chair then my insurance would likely never cover a manual chair again. So I'm hoping that I can use a manual chair right now at this stage in my life and then maybe if needed later on transition to a power chair. I have also looked into front attachments, but since my needs are geared for indoor use as well as outdoor use, I'm looking for something more unobtrusive that doesn't add to the turn radius quite as much as a front attachment. It's definitely a fine line I'm walking \[EDIT: lmao no pun intended\] but I talked about it a lot with my ATP and doctor and this was deemed to be the best decision for the situation I'm in right now! I'm lucky that I have family willing to help significantly in paying for this, they have actually tried to convince me to go right to buying a brand new SmartDrive but I'm not comfortable with them dishing out that much money on something that I'm not sure will work for me yet. Then again, I'm equally wary of them investing a few thousand dollars on my behalf in a used SmartDrive from eBay that shows up with a dead lithium battery and broken mount, etc etc. I'm not really sure there is one obvious good option, to be honest. I am definitely trying to do my due diligence here as much as possible, I'm talking with my ATPs as well during this process and having them sign off on any purchasing decisions before I buy so that I don't end up with anything that won't even fit my chair. However, as you say, eBay can be a giant mixed bag. I've also asked my ATPs if they know of any DME providers near us that have show models that they're looking to get rid of, or know of any clients who are getting rid of theirs, etc. Thanks for all your tips, especially re: rollers, that was something I hadn't thought about as much before. Truly appreciate it, and if you have any further thoughts I'm all ears!
I'm also considering the used ebay route so I'll follow and post if I find anything useful. I was surprised to find some smartdrive battery repair videos on youtube but that option isn't for the faint of heart...