Big Kid Strollers

[Jenifer]

I know this topic has been visited before, but for those of you who have purchased strollers for your bigger kids, can you tell me what brand you have and if you like it?

We're looking at the Maclaren Special Needs Stroller on adaptivemall.com, but I'm just not sure. It's $425, which is SO much money. We're working to see if our insurance company or Title 19 will pay, but no luck so far.

Any advice on what to get?

Thanks!
Jenifer, mom to Joy Daisy

[Ericsmomma]

Jenifer,
I'm looking for a stroller too, for Eric...he was measured for one from a medical supply place.
The cost is $1800.00! So far, our insurance company has rejected this...said it wasn't necessary because he is able to walk. (yeah, for about a few minutes before he decides to "plop" to the ground). It is being appealed, but I doubt if they will pay for ANY of it.
So the Maclaren Stroller might be an option for us...alot less money, and it really doesn't look all that different from the $1800 stroller.

[Pat]

Sometimes the McClaren strollers are on sale on ebay. I've seen them won as low as $185, but you have to keep watching.
I use a Kelty jogging stroller, but it only goes until 75 lbs.
Pat

[momofrussell]

We don't have a McLaran we have a Stealth Mobility Lightning. They are pricey BUT we did get our ins to pay for it. My suggestion to you all about the insurance is make sure the medical equip places are coding it properly.. and you have a script from your Ped.. and a letter of necessity also We got ours covered that way but went through a medical equipment place to have them do the work. **side note.. I do NOT like this medical equip company and will never use them again, but we have our stroller**

One thing they are STILL in the midst of adapting for us is a thigh wedge thing like the Mclaran has...they made one for us and it STILL doesn't work. Russell throws his legs off to the sides which makes it hard to push AND it's not good at all for his legs. They made a thigh aducter but it isn't like the Mclaran one.. I kept saying I wanted one JUST like that! The person who made it took many months and our rep still wasn't thrilled with the results, neither were we but they gave it to us anyway and well... I need to keep working on them to get something different.

BUT.. we love our stroller.. it's nice and we only payed a couple hundred or so out of pocket. Ins picked up the rest of the tab. This is the one we have...

www.stealthmobility.com/catalog/lightning/

A.

[wrblack]

I think adaptivemall is good place to shop. I've still got my eye on Convaid Cruiser there,
www.adaptivemall.com/preadbascrui1.html
But that's because we want to replace bus-transportable special needs stroller. The transport feature really adds to the price tag. If you don't need that, then the Maclaren might be good choice. But you might consider some of the Convaid models. Their Metro is in the same price range; others are more expensive.
The thing I didn't like about the Maclaren is that you have to remove stuff, like the foot rest, to fold it. -- Bob

[momofrussell]

Hmmm now that you mention Convaid.. I think it's Convaid that has the hip thing I am looking for LOL I can't remember.. I just know I still need something other then the abducter they made me LOL

A.

[Evans Dad]

Jennifer

We have been battleing insurance for a while with no luck as well. A lot of insurance companies have clamped down on durable medical equipment that can be compared to every day equipment (although a sturdier piece of equipment the Maclaren Major resembles a typical stroller).

If you can appeal, go with the direction of needing it for muscle tone, stability support, and posture support, with some focus on it being used in the house on a daily basis to help perform daily activities such as eating. You will have to step out of the range of the Maclaren because it is too typical of a stroller, and move more into a pediatric wheel chair. You will need letters from therapists, doctors, etc. that show the insurance company that having this will improve the future of your childs health and well being (at least this is what I was told). I believe insurance companies should cover anything a doctor writes a script for (if the doctor feels it is medically necessary and is willing to sign his/her name on a script, why should an insurance clerk or supervisor be able to over rule a doctors direction). I am sure past abuse by individuals has made it difficult for kids that really need this stuff to get it.

Because Evan is still low weight (only 30lbs) we decided to buy a Peg Perego Aria model (advertised to hold 45lbs, but if not in constant use 50lbs per the Peg Perego representative). So this should last a couple of years at the rate we are going.

Here is another company that we found during our search and would have considered if he was a little taller and heavier, doesn't look like the best travel stroller, but to use for getting around town. If they are still making them when Evan is a little bigger we will probably get one.

www.kinderkart.com

Good luck
Clint

[Jenifer]

Thanks for all of your great info! I am right now working with a local medical supply store to try to get this deal done, and they are pretty helpful, but I am having my doubts our insurance will pay. If they deny, we can still try to get it through Title 19, but I hate doing that when I have perfectly good medical insurance. No surprise, though. They denied Joy's private OT and PT, so why not this?

The thing that really miffs me is the medical supply store is recommending this "stroller" (transport chair) that is $1,800 (probably the same one as EricsMomma was talking about). The one I WANT (the Maclaren) is only $450. I had a hard time convincing the lady to submit for the cheaper stroller, and I don't know if it's because she thinks they will deny or she wants the bigger sale.

Grr. Why can't anything ever be easy? Why can't the insurance company say, "Thank you for paying your premiums every month. We appreciate your business and your predicament and would be happy to pay for that stroller!" In a perfect world...

Jenifer, mom to Joy Daisy

[momofrussell]

Does your ins pay for Durable Medical Equipment or DME? That's the key. And that isn't always a shoe in. Our ins changed over the years and they added ALOT of DME stuff... so we got the stroller covered but we can't get an aug comm device covered even though they know the correct ins codes.

When we got ours they showed us different ones and really, don't pic one because of the price or whatever... make sure they measure Joy and "fit" her in one. We had specific needs and wants with a stroller so it didn't matter how inexpensive it was... I needed certain things about it. AND the child truly needs to fit well with it and be able to grow with it for a while. THAT is key

A.

[Chester]

Thanks for reminding me to call to see where we're at......GRRRRRRRRR.

Let's see we started trying to get a stroller through insurance in February. I just called the Medical Supply company who said they are still waiting on the letter from our PT. But when I talked to our PT 3 weeks ago she said she wrote it about a month ago.

I don't even remember the name brand of the stroller anymore, it was blue LOL.

Good Luck and be persistent!!
Dawn

[mommygwen]

We use a Convaid and a Baby Jogger Special needs. The Convaid is our indoor chair and the BabyJogger gets aroung well outdoors, and it can get wet so we can go the water play fountains and pool. Both chairs fold. The BabyJogger has a very cool one hand fold design. The Convaid was paid for by insurance. The babyjogger was given to us by BabyJogger in exchange for photos. (We are are on their website under stroller, spcial needs.)

[Chris]

For a fairly inexpensive fix, we purchased the Dreamer Design Manhattan Lite Jogging Stroller. It will accomodate kids up to 80 lbs. My daughter seems very comfortable and the stroller handles very well. It also has a swivel front wheel so it is easy to manuver. I got mine at sportsauthority.com for under $200 including shipping. I got it back in November.

Chris

[angela2]

We have the McLaren stroller and really love it! Brandon is almost six and weighs about 50 lbs. He loves to ride in it! I would suggest that if you do buy it, get the shopping bag thingy that goes underneath the stroller too. Otherwise there is no cup holder or anyplace to put anything while strolling.
We get money from the state to buy equipment (or whatever he may need) for him. I used that money to buy the stroller. We couldn't afford it otherwise.