Introduction
Living well with a physical disability in the United States is an expensive proposition. Most medical
insurance coverage is very limited, sometimes nonexistent, for expenses needed to acquire
necessary medical equipment, even ventilators for people who are unable to breathe adequately or
wheelchairs for people unable to walk. “Medically Necessary” criteria for coverage are not uniform
between plans, co-pays or coverage limitations can be burdensome and spending limitations often
lead to poor quality items. Almost no insurance plans contribute to costs for architectural
modifications of homes, vehicles, clothing or adaptive equipment that could increase one’s
independence, productivity and/or Quality of Life. Consequently, many US citizens with physical
impairments feel like they pay an “American surtax on disability”.
This resource guide has been assembled to assist Americans with disabilities, particularly polio
survivors with significant motor and breathing impairments, to find financial assistance for the costs of
obtaining desired medical equipment and/or environmental adaptive modifications that are otherwise
not affordable to them.
Post-Polio Health International (PHI) has a long history as an organization committed to helping polio
survivors live independently despite severe post-polio disabilities and their late effects. It has always
encouraged polio survivors to take matters into their own hands and to assume personal
1