We have spoken with many individuals with charcot foot.
The question that occassionally comes up is “what do I do if my doctor won’t give me a prescription for a handicap placard or permit if I have Charcot foot?”
The intensity of the charcot diagnosis can vary, but some folks (rightfully so) want a handicap placard in their car. Walking can be a chore and can be dangerous for many people with Charcot foot.
The problem is, according to these same patients some doctors won’t easily give them a prescription for a handicap parking permit.
So, a conflict can occur.
This article is a summary of these conversations from charcot patients.
From the patient’s perspective, they see it as a way to minimize walking on the charcot foot in a big parking lot, but on the other hand the doctor might feel they can only give them out in “worst case scenarios”.
While the prescription creation process for a handicap placard is a case by case situation, some patients feel frustrated, stating “my doctor told me that unless I have a broken bone in my foot or if I had surgery is the only way they can give me an Rx for one of these handicap placards”.
If your podiatrist or other doctor you are seeing for charcot foot is hesitant to give you one, some of the people we have heard from go to their PCP. Many patients have told us that just by asking another party for the same help, it was very easy to get the Rx. The response they got is much more positive, in the eyes of the patient when they try another doctor for the same solution.
In Texas, just as an example, we did see something online that basically states that anyone that has to use a “brace” (like an AFO or CROW boot) or any other “assistive device” like a cane or walker can apply for one of these permits / placards.
In Illinois, per “Illinois Cyberdrive” a person must complete a VSD 62 form and mail it to the Secretary of State, as of the time of this writing. This information and more details on the topic can be found at cyberdriveillinois.com
We don’t have all the answers but we do hope you found some good information here.
Best of luck to you.
*Please remember this is health information too and not medical advice. Just some good stuff to consider.
