The Nightmare of Durable Medical Equipment: My Brace Journey

Most of us have dealt with the headaches of medical red tape—but few understand just how exhausting it is to get durable medical equipment (DME). This isn’t just gear. It's essential, life-changing, and often time-sensitive. My most recent experience was getting a new leg brace, and it was far more complicated than it should have been.

The process started back in January with a neurology appointment where I was evaluated for foot drop. I left with a prescription for a new brace and instructions to first get a physical therapy assessment and a nerve conduction study. I completed both in February and finally got in touch with my go-to orthotics company (Precision Medical Solutions) in March to move forward.

I drive two hours each way to this orthotics company because they’re family-owned, know me well, and truly care about getting things right. At my appointment, they layered existing braces to mimic what I’d need, took a 3D scan of my leg, and measured everything carefully. Then came the painful insurance process.

It took about three weeks for insurance to respond—and even then, I was told insurance would cover $1,600 of the brace but I would have to cover the remaining $400. That’s a huge amount for something medically necessary and critical for preventing further nerve and joint damage, especially when you're already paying an arm and a leg for insurance. Once I paid, they could finally start making my brace. We chose Icarus Medical, a company that specializes in orthotics for long-term needs rather than short-term sports injuries. Their website promised a 12-business-day turnaround. I was excited and hopeful, expecting my brace in early April.

But early April came and went with no updates. When I reached out, I was told they were “just beginning” production. I waited another full month until my orthotics company, not Icarus, finally called to say the brace was done and had arrived. This meant I could schedule my appointment and go pick my brace up, or so I thought.

So I made the two-hour trip again… only to find out the custom 3D-printed brace didn’t fit. It was too short and too wide, completely unusable as it would cause more damage to my leg than benefit. My orthotics company was amazing in handling it, and I knew the fault wasn’t theirs. We had to send the brace back for a full remake.

The remake also took longer than the advertised timeline. Both I and the orthotics team had to follow up with Icarus multiple times to push things along. When I finally received the new brace at the beginning of June, it still wasn’t perfect, a crucial adjustment to lock out my knee hadn’t been made. Thankfully, my orthotics provider created a custom heel lift to fix the issue without sending it back again.

Having a properly fitting brace has changed my mobility for the better, and for that I’m grateful. But my experience with Icarus was disappointing. Their poor communication, missed deadlines, and less-than-accurate final product made what should have been a hopeful process feel like an uphill battle. For a $2,000 device and company that prides itself on helping people, I expected more.

I’m happy with my brace now, but I sincerely hope that by the time I need a new one, there’s another company on the market with better standards—and that the system around durable medical equipment gets a serious overhaul. No one should have to fight this hard just to walk, and somehow, getting a wheelchair is even harder...