Press Releases
Tips for Avoiding Mobility Scams
Mobility Industry Leader Issues Consumer Alert Against Fraud
April 12, 2004 -- The SCOOTER Store, the nation's leading supplier of power wheelchairs and scooters, has issued a national consumer alert to help senior citizens with mobility challenges avoid scams from unscrupulous companies.
The action was prompted by recent cases of fraud of the Medicare system across the country where some beneficiaries were promised free power wheelchairs, and many either received nothing or a lesser valued product.
The SCOOTER Store, a pioneer in the field, offered three important tips to the mobility impaired:
- Beware of anyone who knocks on your door or approaches you on the street or at a senior center and offers to take you to a physician to get a free power wheelchair or scooter. Legitimate providers do not do that.
- Avoid anyone who will not allow you to use your own physician and insists that you go to theirs. Legitimate providers will prefer to work with your own personal physician.
The company offers three additional questions that consumers should ask:
- How long has the provider been serving the community and how long have they been certified as a Medicare provider?
- Will they furnish written literature to explain eligibility and costs?
- Do they ensure patient confidentiality?
Beyond tips, The SCOOTER Store suggests that consumers get a reference from someone who now has power mobility equipment or from a physician. Any who are concerned about fraud or questionable practices should contact the Medicare and Medicaid Hotline, 1-800-447-8477.
Margaret McGuckin, General Manager, New Business Ventures, said The SCOOTER Store is alarmed about the impact of such fraud. "We are dedicated to eliminating fraud of the Medicare program, which harms the disabled elderly who need it most, and reflects unfairly on legitimate providers in this important field," McGuckin said. She pointed out that The SCOOTER Store was instrumental in bringing evidence of suspected fraud in the Houston, Texas area to the attending Medicare officials.
McGuckin also cautioned consumers and the media to avoid confusion between the few wrongdoing scooter dealers who may have the generic word "scooter" in their name with The SCOOTER Store, which is a trademarked brand.
The SCOOTER Store, headquartered in New Braunfels, Texas, recently opened four retail locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area featuring a full line of healthcare products. The company now operates more than 60 locations coast to coast.
Every day, employee-owners dedicate themselves to helping others achieve freedom and independence. The SCOOTER Store recently was named to FORTUNE magazine's "Top 100 Companies to Work For" list for 2004.
