Q: Who will treat me at A Step Ahead?
 
A: Erik Schaffer, C.P. will be responsible for all aspects of your care and treatment, from casting and delivery to repairs and maintenance of your prosthesis. This eliminates the possibility that another prosthetist, less familiar with your prosthetic history, would unwittingly perform work that is unnecessary or improper. It also ensures that every patient gets the highest quality care, and has the added benefit of reducing the amount of time you spend at A Step Ahead for treatment.
     
Q: How long does it take me to get a prosthesis?

A: We perform all design and fabrication of your prostheses on site. Because our patients come from all over the United States, as well as from around the world, we regularly move from the initial appointment to delivery of a prosthesis within 24 hours. For these clients, putting them in a prosthesis as quickly as possible is critical in order for us to provide follow-up care within a narrow time frame. Alternatively, for patients who live within driving distance of our facility, we can perform our work as quickly or slowly as the circumstances and your needs dictate. For these individuals, the process usually takes no more than 10 days from casting to delivery of the prosthesis.
     
Q: Who teaches me to use my prosthesis?

A: Erik Schaffer, C.P personally oversees all aspects of your immediate post-delivery training regimen. For lower extremity amputees, this involves extensive gait training, with particular focus on an efficient and anatomically correct gait pattern. For upper extremity amputees, he trains you to properly operate your myoelectric or body-powered prosthesis.

Once you are ready, we coordinate your care with the physical therapist you choose.  Your options include working on site with Phil Kreuter, P.T., President of Mobility Physical Therapy, an expert with more than 20 years of amputee rehabilitation experience. We have found that this multidisciplinary, intensive approach to rehabilitation produces excellent outcomes.
     
Q: Does A Step Ahead accept my insurance?

A: We are a Medicare provider.  We also participate in the New York State Medicaid program. A Step Ahead is a private facility and does not contract with any HMOs. For those of you with private insurance (group or individual), we review all the relevant terms and conditions of the insurance policy to assess your rights as a premium paying insured. This analysis extends beyond a simple, "yes, your insurance permits you to come here", or "no, your insurance is no good."

A Step Ahead's Insurance Task Force possesses more than 35 years of combined insurance experience. Even when your insurance presents a potential problem, we are often able to provide advice, and solutions that enable you to come to our facility for treatment. No matter what the outcome, we can assure every potential patient who comes to our facility for a consultation that they will leave with a firm understanding of their insurance policy's terms and conditions. Why do we emphasize this point? Because we believe that one of our fundamental responsibilities is to educate everyone who takes the time to meet with us.
     
Q: What happens if my insurer denies my claim?

A: Appealing a claim requires time and expertise. We want you to focus on living your life without limitations, but the overwhelming and even paralyzing effect of an insurance appeal prevents you from doing that. That is why the Insurance Task Force manages every appeal filed by our patients.

This approach relieves you of the responsibility of becoming an insurance expert. It also allows you to file an appeal that takes into account our extensive experience with specific types of denials, with insurers generally, and with your insurer specifically. Utilizing this method, we have achieved remarkable success on our patients' behalf. Click here to see a list of our insurance victories.