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KFF Health News

Health Insurers Limit Coverage of Prosthetic Limbs, Questioning Their Medical Necessity - KFF Health News

KFF Health News
Summary
Nutrition label

83% Informative

An estimated 2.3 million people are living with limb loss in the U.S. An estimated 1.5 million knee or hip joint replacements were performed in 2021 .

Plans may deny coverage for prosthetic limbs by claiming they aren’t medically necessary or are experimental devices.

Leah Kaplan was born without a left hand.

She has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times.

The myoelectric hand she requested would respond to electrical impulses in her arm that would move the hand to perform certain actions.

Without insurance coverage, the hand would cost her just over $46,000 .

VR Score

83

Informative language

80

Neutral language

67

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

53

Offensive language

possibly offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

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