Should the Gov't Pay For Injured Man's Wii? 222
An anonymous reader writes "Politicians in the Australian state of Victoria are currently locked in a debate about whether an injured man should be able to claim the cost of a Nintendo Wii for rehabilitation purposes under worker's compensation. The man's doctor apparently recommended he use the Wii Fit exercise device, but both insurance companies and the government itself have blocked the payment and have now ridiculed the idea as paying for video games. But with the Wii Fit increasingly being used for rehabilitation purposes internationally, does the man have a fair case?"
He should be careful what he wishes for... (Score:5, Funny)
He should be careful what he wishes for, apparently there might be a risk of ending up like this women:
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/10/04/15/146236/Woman-Claims-Wii-Fit-Caused-Persistent-Sexual-Arousal-Syndrome [slashdot.org]
Re:He should be careful what he wishes for... (Score:4, Funny)
Persisistent arousal is no laughing matter. Being aroused on a continual basis and wanking until your penis is raw? from personal experience, I can tell you it isn't fun... I sure wouldn't want to go through my middle/high school years again. (okay, early college too)
Re:He should be careful what he wishes for... (Score:5, Funny)
"Persistent arousal is no laughing matter. Being aroused on a continual basis and wanking until your penis is raw?"
You could try to get a job at the SEC.
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Instead, they should keep the money for themselves and split it evenly among its iluminati members, right? YOU BASTARD!
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Insightful)
Typically, it also comes with the provision that you cannot sue your employer for negligence, so business gets an enormous perk, and workers get fixed up so they continue to be productive for themselves and their families. Anyway, only complete retard would say that it would be better to be able to sue a company for millions, than pay $300 for a Wii.
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It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Interesting)
EXACTLY what I was going to say. It's probably 10x cheaper than other treatments/devices. I can see the other side -- it's like medical marajuana -- people come out of the woodwork with faked conditions to get a prescription. Wouldn't want to start a land-rush. Next thing you know there will be "medically certified" Wiis out there costing 5x as much as the same thing "off the shelf" and on and on. Paying more now might avoid a rush that could cause a much bigger problem.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
You cannot return a used joint but you can return a used Wii.
Just make them return the Wii once treatment is over. You don't get to keep "free" wheelchairs after you've recovered either.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Informative)
I know they're a lot cheaper than a wheelchair but the crutches and boot from when I broke my leg both stayed with me, along with a few other miscellaneous gadgets from rehab. Worker's comp paid for all of it (fell down the stairs at work so it fell under worker's comp). I'm guessing there's some cost threshold though.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Informative)
In this case the stairs had had water tracked in from it raining outside that hadn't been cleaned up. When coming down the stairs when you don't even know it's been raining, hitting a soaking wet stair and your foot slipping isn't exactly too far fetched. There was no lawsuit. Worker's comp picked up the tab because THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET INJURED AT WORK.
Thanks for playing though!
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Worker's comp picked up the tab because THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET INJURED AT WORK.
What country do you live in?
I used to work as a receptionist at a Chiropractic clinic, in BC, Canada. I assure you worker's comp did a lot to avoid paying anything. Some people had to struggle for 6-18 months to get ANYTHING back. Until then it all came out of their pocket. Some people never got their injuries covered, under technical clauses like "you got rear-ended in the parking lot outside your place of employment, before signing in for the day, so it isn't work related, and we aren't covering you. Go a
Used wheelchairs (Score:2)
Just make them return the Wii once treatment is over. You don't get to keep "free" wheelchairs after you've recovered either.
I think that's dependent upon how long you're going to be using said wheelchair. Though generally if you're going to be using it long term they make you buy your own.
Personal thought - I see a number of issues, broken down by:
1. Effectiveness - Is the Wii fit effective for the dollars it costs. Dollar per dollar, does it produce enough benefit to be worth it?
2. Motivation - physical therapy sucks. Rehabilitive products, no matter how effective or expensive, don't work if they aren't used. If the Wii f
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I thought the same - probably less than a dozen hours of physio.
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I know a Physical Therapist who got a wii for her kids... She tried the Wii Fit and immediately (within a week) was commenting on how this would be really useful in a treatment scenario - and that NOTHING exists like this for the biofeedback benefits that it can provide. Just sayin - it could definitely have a place in real medical practice.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Informative)
My wife works in Occupational Therapy and they utilize the Wii for hand eye coordination with people recovering from strokes, as well as other injuries. It provides immediate feedback of both fine and gross motor skills.
If there were more specific "games" designed around therapy I think there it would be a valid mechanism for treatment. I'm not sure Wii Fit and Super Mario Party are maximizing the potential.
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I got him a Wii. He can't do the Wii Fit since he can't stand on his own, but Wii Sports/Wii Sports
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Insightful)
No, Wii Fit is not a replacement for something like running or lifting weights. But it absolutely is useful for basic mobility exercises and balance training, which is what a lot of physical/rehabilitative therapy is.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Interesting)
It also weighs you and calculates your BMI every time you use it, and then proceeds to tell you that you're fat.
I started my shift from sedentary to kinda-sorta fit with Wii Fit Plus. The cardio is pretty low-level, but more than enough to wear out a fat video game nerd. Push-ups, however, are still push-ups, even if you're doing them on a balance board. In any case, I started with the Wii Fit, and now I pretty much only use it as a scale, and I get my actual exercise running. But, even though I don't use it now, if I hadn't had it to get me started, I probably would still be unable to run a mile without wanting to puke.
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Have you tried boxing? It will wear a fat man out, dead simple. Does he have to turn the Wii in? Of course he does. Nothing makes me say that, but nothing made you say he doesn't other than it just popped into your head. Do you get to keep crutches or a wheelchair? Depends on your insurance or arrangement with the doctor and other things, and I have no idea how Australian health care works. I don't see why the govs wouldn't just treat this the same way, here borrow this then give it back and we'll cl
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Exactly. The whole exercise part of the Wii is questionable at best. Even Miyamoto himself said that it's very unlikely that Wii Fit would actually improve someone's health, but that it's a starting point, a catalyst if you will, to put people on the right track.
Of course they should only allow it if it's somehow certified as useful (in this case his doctor apparently recommended it, but I suppose they might want broader support than one person), but I don't see why it should be categorically disallowed just because it's also a fun toy, which seems to be the government's stance.
No doubt the politicians are ranting about this particular case because see it as a chance to grand-stand and pretend to be looking out for the public's interests, but I suppose there's als
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Why not? It hasn't been allowed yet, that could very well be part of the deal if it goes through.
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Exactly. The whole exercise part of the Wii is questionable at best.
Oh yeah? Free endorsement: in the last 9 months, I lost 35 pounds, 6 waist inches, and 6% body fat using EA Active (and its sequel) on the Wii and the free app "Lose It!" on my iPod. Wii Fit might not be strenuous, but even today a full workout on EA Active's hardest difficulty level will have me pretty well exhausted at the end of half an hour.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't get it. The man's doctor recommended he use a wii. Why shouldn't the government or insurance pay for it as part of his workers comp? If they're gunna pay for him to receive treatment, why are they making such a big fuss about something his doctor recommended?
They are spending way more money (time and resources) on fighting it than they would if they just bought the damn thing. Seriously, a Wii and a Wii Fit are equivalent dollar-wise to probably between one and two hours of lawyer-time. The cost of having various flackeys come up with reasons why not paying for the wii is the right thing to do, writing that out for the rejection letter, press releases, internal memos, etc. all adds up too.
Frankly, the AU government and/or the insurance company is wasting its money - not only in fighting the payment for a wii, but in the way it approves or rejects payments. The process should be really simple: Did the doctor recommend it? Do we have any reason to suspect the doctor? Is there a clearly less expensive substitute that still fulfills the doctor's recommendation (i.e., a Wii not custom fabricated out of gold)? Is the payment less than x (x being the cost of rejecting the payment and winning a typical subsequent legal challenge)?
All of these questions are really easy and would take up less than 5 minutes of a reviewers time. They would also weed out most fraud.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Insightful)
why are they making such a big fuss about something his doctor recommended?
Because it's a game console. You can play Zelda on it. And Mario. Playing such games doesn't have anything to do with treating the man's injury. Besides (and maybe even more important) a lot of people want a game console, like a Nintendo Wii. Giving away such devices for free when people are sick is going to make a lot of people sick.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Insightful)
And you can use crutches as beating sticks, too.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Funny)
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Parent brings a great point that you can use medical devices for any other reason aside from its intended purpose - but the wii with wii fit is still a valid recommendation despite it. I'd mod parent up, the "Because you CAN use something for evil means it must necessarily be useless" argument is unacceptable, I'd think /.ers would be all about seeing the idiocy behind that.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes and ice cream is yummy. Therefore giving it to kids that have had their tonsils out will make more kids have tonsillitis.
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Ok, Ask Nintendo to make a Wii that will only play Wii Fit and lend that to people who need it. :)
Problem solved and Nintendo will be happy as well.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:4, Insightful)
So they might accidentally allow him to enjoy it as well as get his medically required rehabilitation? At no additional cost to them? OH THE HUMANITY!
Just take it back when he's rehabilitated. If he's actually willing to go to all of the trouble of committing an ongoing fraud to keep the device, then he actually DOES have an ongoing disabling mental illness.
It amazes me the way societies willingly spend vast amounts of money just to make sure nobody accidentally gets some small thing for nothing (all adding up to somewhat less vast amounts of money).
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What if my doctor recommends a trip to Jamaica? Or a year-long global cruise?
The problem isn't doctors who make recommendations in good faith, it's that it becomes difficult or impossible to distinguish between good faith recommendations and doctors who are willing to game the system because their practice will have patients waiting in line for an appointment once word gets out.
I doubt the government is thinking that this case is an abuse, they just realize that it's a highly abusable scenario and need to
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Interesting)
Have you ever used/played Wii Fit? Depending on the exercise I'm quite sure you can't get a similar amount of reliable feedback from anything other than medical grade equipment. It tracks your center of balance precisely and can tell you if your doing the exercises correctly. Sure, you can do the exercises without it, but you can't get that reliable feedback on how well your doing. Depending on what kind of rehab he needs that feedback could be vital.
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That's actually a good point. I broke my leg pretty severely back in 2002, and as a result had to go through about 4 weeks (visiting 3x per week for about 2 hours) of rehabilitation after it healed. This was pre-Wii by a little bit, but one of the things the rehab center had for me to use was a balance machine that had me put varying levels of pressure on the affected leg and would give alarms and such if you weren't doing it right. Looking back, it's not all that different from what the Wii does.
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Yes I have. I have owned a Wii Fit since day 1 of it's release. The feedback it gives has minimal uses and certainly isn't anything that can't be done without. The only thing the Wii Fit would be helpful for is having something of a virtual trainer to pace your workout. In fact, that personal trainer isn't worth a damn because it can't give you feedback on your form or posture. It can only tell if your center of balance is right.
So, in other words...you gave up after the first try, and now you're bitter as
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm with the government on this one. If there's a need for low cast at-home virtual rehabilitation systems, perhaps the market should make some?
It has, apparently - the Wii.
Re:It's probably cheaper than the alternatives (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes. I don't see why insurance companies should be in the business of deciding who needs what treatment. That's what the doctors are for. If a doctor finds that a somewhat unusual method gets the right results cheaply, then that's fine with me.
Now, if the doctor is prescribing the wrong things, or for the wrong reasons, go after the doctor and revoke their license.
You're saying it as if the alternative to the Wii was simply no Wii. No, the alternative would be a licensed therapist, who probably charges per hour a significant part of the cost of a new Wii + Wii Fit. So the Wii, if it works is actually by far the cheapest option.
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If you have problems with using other types of painkillers you may end up using heroin.
There are people that may be oversensitive to the common types or suffer from conditions/medications that makes the alternatives impossible.
As for using a Wii Fit - it may be that it's easier to get a record of doing the exercise correct. And if the Wii is a tenth of the price of a custom adapted equipment it's probably easier to subsidize the Wii than to go through all the custom adaptations needed for a customized unit.
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If a doctor(never mind whether the doctor is reputable, he is a doctor) recommends that I do heroin to help with my stubbed toe, should the government and insurance companies pay for it, simply because some doctor says that it would help rehabilitate me? All that your plan would do is increase doctor shopping. People would stop going to actual doctors and would go to fly-by-night doctors in order to get a cheap Wii. It would actually increase fraud, not weed out most of it.
I don't know about Australia or the US, but in France there is a "Medical Council" which are responsible for dealing with fraudulent doctors. If Social Security services believe a doctor if providing false medication, they can complain to the "Medical Council" which would revoke the doctor's licence if necessary.
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Sad but true. I wish I could remember the article where someone used a $30 wiimote (or something) in place of a $1000+ specialized device.
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I have used a Wiimote together with a Windows Mobile device to collect data in a mobile solution. Inspection of railroad ties.
1500 button presses per kilometer. And the Wiimote has a decent ergonomic design.
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Heck the doctor probably billed more while recommending it.
For all the people whinging about the cost if it replaces just one session of therapy its already saved money. I had knee surgery due to an injury at work and my Physical therapy sessions cost more than a Wii ($240/two hour sessions)
And for the rental theory. If rental was required the suppliers would charge more for rent of a Wii in a couple of months then the total cost of a new unit. That I can guarantee.
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Cheaper and sensible don't often have much to do with the health care industry. My dad was recently prescribed a powered wheelchair. Though the cost was almost completely covered by by insurance, we were both completely incensed by how much it was. We figured out that we could buy a new Mercedes, take out the (very nice) driver's seat (and throw the rest of the car away), buy two new Segways, strap the seat to the Segways, and end up with something certainly more comfortable, that probably could be made
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I'm not saying they should condone it, but a Wii is probably a lot cheaper than any other form of treatment or medication. Just saying.
"Probably" isn't good enough. "Just saying" isn't good enough.
The Wii has to be paid for out of your budget for durable medical goods and supplies.
There is a demand for medical oxygen.
Wheelchairs. Eyeglasses. Hearing aids. Diabetic test kits. Cardiac monitors....
There is a demand for the Wii.
The benefits of the portable oxygen tank can be demonstrated by at least a century
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The medical value of the Wii --- unproven.
That's actually a pretty good point. Here in the Netherlands, Freud's method of psychoanalysis has recently been removed from the package of government-funded health care, because there is no proof or scientific basis at all on the effectiveness of this treatment. Same goes with the Wii I suppose.
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Personally, I think these big companies are missing an opportunity. Why wouldn't nintendo gimp the wii, stick it in a sturdy box and allow people to use it for one purpose only, then double the price and sell it as a medical tool. Same with cellphone companies that could be producing today's tr
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If his doctor told him to start jogging would the government buy him new Nikes?
Re:How can it be cheaper than FREE? (Score:5, Informative)
Except he doesn't need to lose weight, but to perform rehabilitation exercises. Have you even read the title?
No! Come back when it's been medical-ized (Score:5, Interesting)
It's not medical equipment unless it's covered in ugly, pink "medical grade" plastic and exposed polished stainless steel tubes. Also, it must have an impossible-to-clean membrane keypad. And cost four thousand dollars, and can only be rented for one thousand dollars a month.
Then and only then should the government pay for his rehabilitation tool.
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The problem with medical devices is that their safety is covered by a bunch of international standards. Those things are pretty disgusting reads, and I guess the engineers show their, um, lack of appreciation of the literary quality of the standards in the design of the devices.
The truth is, you can make beautiful medical devices, yes, even those that have embedded processing in them. I think, for example, that GE's patient monitors have some slick industrial design.
Yes, and no. (Score:5, Insightful)
Since the Doctor suggested the Wii Fit, then I have no problems with the idea of the Government pay for the Wii Fit. If this were in the US, then I would agree that the Insurance company pay for it.
HOWEVER!
Since the Wii can be used for more than just the physical fitness applications, the Wii itself should not be paid for.
Re:Yes, and no. (Score:5, Insightful)
[1] In Austria. YMMV
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[1] In Austria. YMMV
Any Aussies here might want to let Victorians know they've been annexed by Austria.
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As long as they take Conroy they can have it. I'll even throw in both the liberal and labor parties for free!
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If I break a leg, I get crutches (if necessary)[1]. After I don't need them anymore, I have to give them back or pay for them. Same thing for the wii -> problem solved.
Medical devices designed to be transferred among many different people are made of specific materials that can be cleaned or have parts replaced.
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Actually they never ask for crutches back here. Sad to say but it would probably cost more to maintain and control an inventory of crutches than to just give new ones every time.
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There's a lot of physical therapy equipment that is basically light exercise equipment, and can certainly be used to good effect by healthy people. Should the government or insurance companies refuse to pay for it on that basis? Look, the guy's physician prescribed it, and as other posters have pointed out, it's a lot cheaper than sessions with an actual therapist. Its other uses are irrelevant. This case sounds to me a lot more like a politician trying to score points than any real debate over cost-eff
injured man's wii? (Score:5, Funny)
He was doing it wrong.
Rehaib hospital push (Score:3, Interesting)
Broke my hip on the ice this winter. When I was in rehab they got me up and forced me to play a stupid bowling game on the wii. I hate video games! They seem to think anything that motivates you to get up and be more active is a good thing. ( Oklahoma, USA)
Re:Rehaib hospital push (Score:5, Insightful)
So what? You don't have to score points, just perform the motion and ignore the "game".
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" They seem to think anything that motivates you to get up and be more active is a good thing."
As long as it doesn't hurt you, it -is- a good thing.
However, that obviously didn't motivate you and they were wrong to force it. They should have given you the old boring, tedious rehab style instead.
Re:Rehaib hospital push (Score:5, Funny)
Broke my hip on the ice this winter. When I was in rehab they got me up and forced me to play a stupid bowling game on the wii. I hate video games! They seem to think anything that motivates you to get up and be more active is a good thing. ( Oklahoma, USA)
You could probably get equivalent exercise by chasing the neighborhood kids from your lawn.
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No that's silly.
He needs a kid holding a Wii that will threaten to make him play it if he doesn't start moving around.
He hates Wii. Wii hates him. Everybody happy. Problem solved.
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Broke my hip on the ice this winter. When I was in rehab they got me up and forced me to play a stupid bowling game on the wii. I hate video games! They seem to think anything that motivates you to get up and be more active is a good thing. ( Oklahoma, USA)
Rehab isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to make you functional as quickly as possible.
Of course anything that motivates (read: forces) you to get up and be more active is a good thing, especially when you've broken something. When I was in the hospital with several broken bones after a car accident they made me walk literally the next day. The pain makes you irritable and any kind of movement just pisses you off even further but it's better than the alternative: atrophy and loss of range of motion.
Let's put it in perspective... (Score:3, Interesting)
The Wii can be used for things other than rehabilitation. Once his rehab is finished, should he be able to keep his Wii, or should the government be able to auction it off to recover some of the costs?
Stay indoors Tim (Score:3, Informative)
On the other side is WorkCover Minister Tim Holding
It was Tim Holding who got himself lost [smh.com.au] back country skiing in rather stupid circumstances last winter. So its wrong for him to oppose paying for a gadget which will get a recovering patient moving without risking his life.
Maybe Mr Jones from Coburg (hey! he's almost a neighbour) should throw himself off Mt Feathertop for exercise.
And Tim, try Lake Mountain. Believe me its your more speed. Harder to get lost.
Better than one of those expensive devices... (Score:5, Insightful)
Hey, it’s better than the $15000 a “officially accepted” device would cost, that would do the same job.
I say, it is completely irrelevant what the device was “supposed to be’. What counts is:
1. Did it help him?
2. Was it not pointlessly expensive?
And as it looks like that’s a yes, and a yes, I say: If you’d pay a “official” device, of course it should be paid. And you should be thankful that he didn’t take the $15000 device. ^^
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What he can't get for free is the biofeedback that Wii fit provides. It does extremely well at teaching you to do the exercises correctly. A therapist can show you how to do it right a few times and watch you while you are in for therapy. The Wii is "watching" every single thing and providing you constant feedback on how well you are doing.
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Also, see below for the comparison to an $18,000 device:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/01/in-early-tests-us99-wii-balance-board-outperforms-us17885-medical-rig/ [gizmodo.com.au]
No, the government shouldn't pay. (Score:5, Insightful)
Wii Fit is like a cheap personal trainer/motivator. No competent doctor is going to recommend it as a full replacement for a rehabilitation therapist. But they may recommend it as healthy, daily exercise. The same thing can be accomplished by handing the man a pamphlet, except Wii Fit motivates better.
Yes, Wii Fit should be recommended to motivate patients. No, a government shouldn't pay for this "extra motivation".
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I agree. But the insurance company could offer a rental service, if he really only wants it for rehab.
Re:No, the government shouldn't pay. (Score:5, Insightful)
I sort of agree with you, but playing Devil's advocate for a moment... The same motions that you go through at a "rehabilitation therapist" can be done without one as well, but they still pay for those when appropriate.
I'm actually okay with the device being a loaner that is owned by the hospital/doctor, and is expected to be returned in full working order after rehab is done. I'm not okay with the government/insurance buying him a video game machine to keep.
that and he sounds like he is milking the system (Score:3, Informative)
he hasn't been to work in four years on the claim that every time he tries to go to work he has panic attacks.
http://www.news.com.au/business/business-smarts/lib-mp-gordon-rich-phillips-wanted-workcover-to-pay-for-wii/story-e6frfm9r-1225861036146 [news.com.au]
Complicated case? Sorry, but people like this need to either be committed or told to grow a pair.
He certainly does not need a Wi to exercise.
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What a waste of money! (Score:2)
Our politicians don't understand tech (Score:2)
I think it's mandatory here in Australia that you be absolutely fucking clueless about technology to stand for election. If you know so much as how to switch on a mobile phone, you're out!
No, he shouldn't get it paid for. (Score:5, Interesting)
The doctor recommended that I cure my overweightness + bad knees with a elliptical machine (told me to quit running, it's bad for me). Insurance will not pay for the $3000 machine, nor will it pay for a gym membership.
Doctors recommend things that you should do on your own. Doctors prescribe things that are necessary. His doctor only recommended a Wii, he did not prescribe one.
Also stupid because the court case is gonna cost way more than the $300 a wii with wii fit would cost.
The Doctor recommended it (Score:4, Funny)
sounds familiar (Score:4, Insightful)
reminds me of Roger Ebert's complaint that his insurance would pay $8000 for a bulky piece of crap machine with a keyboard to speak for him that sounded like a bad 60s Sci-fi robot but refused to pay $1000 for a macbook that could do the same thing much better.
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The same thing goes for other consumer technologies. Insurance companies are willing to throw down thousands on huge, ugly, bulky Augmentative Communication devices for autistic kids, but I bet they wouldn't put down the $400 on an iPod Touch + Proloquo2Go, which is a) a much better solution altogether, and b) less likely to be rejected by younger kids.
A lot of kids reset having to carry around a huge box that marks them as needing special assistance - even if they really do need that assistance just to com
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Yeah.
But I say if its good enough for the US military to use as a translator in Iraq its good enough for Billy to use it to communicate. I just hope Billy doesn't use it to calculate bullet drop on a sniper rifle.
Re:Behind the Scenes Deals (Score:4, Insightful)
The Insurance companies more than likely have a deal with the manufacturers of that bulky, ugly equipment so that they get a kickback on any purchases they support. Insurance companies are not about providing a useful service to their customers, they are about making as much money as possible while paying out the least amount possible.
The approach is all wrong (Score:2)
Yes (Score:2)
If the doctor prescribed it, the insurance / government should pay for it.
If the insurance / government has a problem with the doctor prescribing that sort of thing, they need to seek redress with the doctor, not the patient. It's the doctor's responsibility to recommend beneficial treatment; it's (probably) not the patient's fault for getting injured or sick.
Um, are you listening? (Score:2)
returning it is an interewtin diea, but how about a Wii(rx) that just runs therapeutic software?
Sure, WiiFit and all that exist now, but some clever physical therapists will jump on this and create customizeable software that offers specific exercises. Hey, can it report back via the Internet, or give you the report codes do you can call the office and verify you completed the assigned exercises successfully? Download new ones as you progress? Encouraging/helpful messages from your therapist? Next thing
I used to ride a bike, my wife ran a treadmill ... (Score:3, Interesting)
But, I got hit by a truck and my wife got bored by the treadmill.
We tried gym memberships, at home exercise routines, beach balls, weight benches, etc. The treadmill doesn't exercise many muscles. My wife, who had experienced a small stroke during hearth surgery, had difficulty walking without dragging her right foot, and on occasions she'd stagger. And it was all boring, boring, boring. The beach ball exercise where you put it against your back and then squat to a point your legs make a 90 degree angle, hold it for the count of 10, then stand again, all the while holding the beach ball against the wall, KILLED my knees. Took me months to recover and even just to walk without knee pain.
Then we got a Wii and Wii Plus exercise board. Big difference. shifting your weight while trying to drop the balls through the holes, dodging the soccer balls, riding the bike and finding the flag poles, playing golf, bowling and other Wii fitness activities exercises leg muscles that increased my wife's walking agility like the treadmill never could. I get drenched in sweat trying to find the flags while riding a bike all over an island, or by trying to find the balloons on a beach while riding a Segway.
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I got free physiotherapy from the Royal Melbourne Hospital but they gave me home work as well. Maybe some doctors or phyios would recommend that some patients try exercising on the wii.
Also... (Score:3, Insightful)
...there is more than one way to play... [penny-arcade.com]
Winning in a Wii game does not necessarily mean exercising.
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But according to the link you posted, "winning" without exercising makes you a fucking toolbox.
Au contraire... (Score:2)
Winning makes you VICTORIOUS!
Re: (Score:2)
What this idiot should do is go see a physio so he is shown the CORRECT exercises.
Unless the physio realizes that the CORRECT exercises happen to be the same exercises on the Wii Fit disc.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, kind of. Government shouldn't micromanage. Just give the guy a lump sum or a payment schedule and let him figure out what to do with it. Unfortunately, there are just enough idiots out there who can't handle that level of freedom to wreck the system for the rest of us.
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If we get find the government involved in buying video game consoles, the prices WILL go up. This will make a nice experiment. Let's make it so that insurance covers them. We'll have $1000 Wiis before you know it. It will then be called a failure of the "free market".
How do you figure that? The government buys lots of things, and generally in much greater bulk than they could conceivably buy Wii consoles in. Laptops, monitors, pens, paper, bullets, cars....the list goes on and on. Since we're not paying $10,000 for a Dell laptop, or $4 per round of 9mm ammunition due to government purchases, why do you think the Wii would be affected this way?
This also has nothing to do with the free market. Government purchases are just as much a part of the free market as any other