Prosthetic Arm Costs and Financing: A Comprehensive Guide

Prosthetic Arm Costs and Financing: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’ve lost a limb, getting a prosthesis is likely at the top of your to-do list. Luckily, there’s a wide range of arm, hand, and upper limb prosthetics on the market at an even wider range of price points.

The latter aspect creates the largest hurdle for amputees as not all provincial plans cover prosthetics, and those that do either don’t provide full coverage or have coverage maximums too low to fully cover the cost.

Let’s explore the process of preparing for a prosthetic, various types of upper limb prosthetics, their costs, and funding options in Canada.

Table of Contents

Getting an Arm Prosthetic: The Recovery Process

During recovery, your care provider will focus on shaping, conditioning, and preparing your residual limb for rehabilitation. That involves proper positioning of the residual limb, the application of compression to promote blood circulation, and caring for the skin around the amputation site.

Once your wound is healed, you’ll be given a post-amputation assessment to determine the best treatment options. In some cases, patients are given interim prosthesis to make the recovery process and rehabilitation easier.

Ideally, prosthetic treatment should start within two weeks or months after surgery, depending on how long recovery takes.

Types of Arm and Hand Prosthetic Devices

The type of prosthetic you need depends on various factors, such as the amputation level and your lifestyle.

Passive Prosthetic Limbs

Body-Powered Prostheses

Myoelectric Prosthetics

Hybrid Prosthetics

Activity-Specific Prosthetics

The Typical Costs of Prosthetics

In Canada, a passive prosthetic limb can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on its construction and functionality. Body-powered prostheses with split hooks or prosthetic hands that can open and close are more expensive, with price tags as high as $10,000. Myoelectric arms fall into the highest price category and can cost up to $100,000.

The cost of a myoelectric arm depends on various factors, including the level of limb loss. A myoelectric prosthetic for a patient who suffered partial loss of their hand may cost less than $20,000. On the other hand, a prosthetic for limb loss from the shoulder with a fully functioning and realistic hand can cost up to $100,000 or more.

Thought-controlled robotic arms that operate through nerve signals are still in the early stages of development and highly exclusive. Even though these prosthetics are in the experimental phase, they can cost millions of dollars.

Additional Costs

RELATED ARTICLE

Financing a Prosthetic Limb

When it comes to prosthetic treatments, coverage in the Canadian healthcare system is highly variable, and many patients have to rely on non-governmental organizations, fundraising, private insurance, group benefits, or their personal resources for funding.

Funding programs also vary between provinces, and the process of financing a prosthetic limb can be complex. Fortunately, patients undergoing prosthetic therapy are eligible for the Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC). You can also use a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) to cover the cost of a prosthetic.

Health Care Spending Account (HCSA)

Need to Open an HCSA?

While not everyone can take advantage of an HCSA, if you qualify, at Group Enroll, we can help you find the best rate possible. Just fill out our quick quote form, and we’ll get back to you for a little more information. Then, we’ll reach out to our contacts at Canada’s top insurance companies to get you competitive quotes for coverage.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an email at hello@groupenroll.ca. We’re always happy to help. We’re a Canadian-owned and operated business committed to helping other Canadian business owners succeed. We’re located at 10 Great Gulf Drive, Unit 5, Vaughan, ON, L4K 5W1.