US army veteran has prosthetic legs repossessed after government refuses to cover cost
A US military veteran had his prosthetic legs repossessed after the government department tasked with his care said they would not cover the cost.
Jerry Holliman, 69, fought in both the Vietnam War as an 18-year-old specialist and volunteer, and in the Iraq War as a 53-year-old master sergeant, before being honourably discharged in 2010 after 40 years of service.
But he told local newspaper the Clarion Ledger that a dispute over payment left him without the prosthetic limbs that would allow him to leave care and live independently in his own home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
It was during his first tour he was exposed to Agent Orange – the herbicide used by the US to kill vegetation which has been linked to a number of diseases suffered by soldiers who served in Vietnam. A survivor of both cancer and diabetes, Mr Holliman’s right leg was amputated following a bout of gangrene in November 2018 – while the left was taken the following April.
He had hoped to regain his mobility in August when he received a pair of prosthetics from Hanger, a company with offices in Hattiesburg.
However, after attending rehabilitation through a nursing home and undertaking a few sessions with Hanger employees, Mr Holliman said he was told the Department of Veterans Affairs would not cover the cost of the prosthetics. The governmental wing had previously paid for him to have an electric wheelchair, but much of his home remains inaccessible for wheelchair users.
On the day before Christmas Eve he was asked to sign paperwork for Medicare – the federal health insurance programme for the elderly and people with disabilities – while being told to put forward his own money as a co-payment.
Instead, the veteran declined, saying the legs should instead be paid for by the VA’s office in full. In response, a Hanger employee removed his legs.
"Medicare did not send me to Vietnam," Mr Holliman told the newspaper. "I was sent there by my country ... with the understanding that if something bad happened to me, that it would be covered by the VA."
The prosthetics were returned shortly after the veteran spoke to his local newspaper, according to reports, but he has since claimed the company will not make adjustments required so that he can use the legs properly – adding that they are essentially useless to him without modifications.
Meghan Williams, a spokeswoman for Hanger, said: “It is our policy, in accordance with regulatory guidelines, to follow up with every patient we see and make necessary device adjustments through delivery and for at least 90 days afterwards.
“We are committed to empowering human potential, and want to see our patients regain their mobility and independence."
Susan Varcie, a spokeswoman at the VA Medical Center in Jackson, said she could not comment on Mr Holliman's case due to privacy laws.
