A home device that increases arterial blood flow to the leg can help save patients’ limbs – and taxpayers’ money – so why is it no longer paid for by some HSEs, asks MICHELLE MCDONAGH

EIGHTY SEVEN-year-old Bridget O’Malley has managed to stay in her own home and avoid having a second leg amputated through the use of a cost-effective, non-invasive home device which increases arterial blood flow to the leg. However, she is the only patient in Mayo still receiving HSE funding for the ArtAssist device and one of very few in the country due to funding cuts.

Read the rest via Is funding cut a false saving? – The Irish Times – Tue, Jul 24, 2012.

ArtAssist®…The Arterial Assist Device®

Diana’s note:  Yep, that’s our ArtAssist® device! As you read the article further, you’ll see another story like Mrs. O’Malley’s, except that Mr. Conneely does not receive financial assistance for his device – he must pay out-of-pocket for it. Stateside, at ACI Medical, we’ve likewise been fighting for Medicare to reimburse for the ArtAssist® device because, as Dr. Sultan states in this article, having a patient on a device instead of undergoing a costly amputation really is “a no-brainer”.