I have had 2 knee surgeries and am looking for knee braces/protection. I checked our policy and it covers durable medical equipment (I must get the doctor to write a prescription and then it's reviewed by the insurance company).

What companies can you get the insurance coverage for the products? Am I only limited to CTi and DonJoy? I like the Asterisks but being off the shelf can I get the insurance to cover these?

Anyone have experiences they are willing to share with getting knee braces/protection prescribed and covered through insurance. Thanks!

A friend who liked the Asterisks paid the $525 or so out of his pocket and then turned it in to his Insurance Co. and was reimbursed. That’s how he got them to pay when they wouldn’t honor the Rx for an off the shelf Knee Brace. Personally I can’t praise my Cti2s enough. Hope this helps.

I just had my ACL done. My insurance is the HMO type. They will only cover the injured knee. The better PPO type would pay for both of them. Oh well.

After I payed around $1200 for one brace (Insurance payed for most of it), I went online and found the same brace for around $400. I also had my brace supplier, and doctor look into the Asterisk, they both thought it would not provide enough protection. Too flexible.

I went with the DonJoy brace. The CTi seems a little better, but at an extremely higher price. I'm not an expert rider or racer, so I think the DonJoy is just fine. I'm getting a preventative DonJoy for the other knee soon.

P.S. Getting my ACL done really sucked. I had a lot of maniscus repaired as well. It's been over 2 months, and it still hurts to kneel and I'm paranoid about my knee now. I recommend to everyone to wear knee braces now.

Hi,
If you can get the CTi, then by all means get them. They are the best of the best as far as the type of protection we need. I'd chack about getting 2 of them. The insurance will probably cover the one bad leg, but may or may not cover the preventive one.

I have a pair of Asterisk braces. I messed up my left MCL last year, and they have been good for me so far(except for my tank graphics).
I won't ride without them.

I had a chipped knee cap and my ACL (basketball) reconstructed on one knee but I'll definitely try to make a case for both knees.

Weemer - yes, ACL injuries are hard and long to recover. I still don't have all my muscle back but I played a full season of basketball with no problems.

Weemer, ButchWR250F - were these riding injuries?

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Anyone try the new EVS knee brace. I tried one on the other day and it felt really secure and stable. Lots of soft pading, but I couldn't quite sqwat all the down. Retail was like $350 each if I remember correctly.
pic

ben

Mine was from playing rugby, along with breaking 4 of my ribs twice. GREAT SPORT!!!

I bought out of my own pocket a pair of the Donjoy Armor Action braces. Look here:

http://www.donjoyarmor.com/index.asp

for more information. They were not cheap--about $400.00 a pair--but less than me paying out of pocket on my $2,500.00 deductable insurance. I wear one brace, without the knee pad, all the time while skiing. I am pretty sure my right ACL is torn completely (no cash for the MRI) as my knee will trick out if I don't pay attention to it, but with exercise and the brace, I can still ski well enough to do my ski patrol duties--just can't do the black bumps like I used to--I stay out of the bumps. The swelling is almost gone and so are most of the "ginding" noises I used to hear at night! I started taking glucosomine condoitin and I think it helps some--maybe just being active too helps more--but I stopped taking Bextra, Celebrex or Ibuprofen about 2 months ago.

I am going to see if I can get the parts from Donjoy to modify my MX brace for skiing so I can wear both at the same time. They have some sort of plastic thingy that is supposed to keep the braces from getting caught on one another when your legs cometogether, as in bump skiing. The MX knee/shin pads won't work with the ski braces.

I hurt my knee--hyperextended and smashed it downwards--while wearing the EVS-RS7 brace last August. The RS7 did not afford anywhere near the protection, support and stability the Donjoy brace does and I bet my knee would be fine if I had the Donjoy brace on last year. Side to side stability with the EVS RS7 brace in my opinion was virtually nil. Side impact protection was good, and the graphics were cool--but you don't see them with pants on! I have not worn a Web, but the mags said you needed socks or something under both the Web and RS7 to prevent chafing or blisters. I got nasty blisters from the RS7 and you can still see the SCARS!

You can also adjust the degrees of flex both ways on the Donjoy braces and they come with 4 sets of different stops, both ways. I use 20 degree hyperextention stops skiing, 30 degree riding, and no stops the other way. My legs are chubby, so they are a bit uncomfortable touching my heels to my buttocks, but you don't ride or ski that way! I am trying to lose weight--it is very hard!

I wear my Donjoy braces on my skin--for 8 hour plus rides--NO Problems! I wear the one brace on my right leg skiing on a 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ski patrol shift, either on bare skin or with thin long underware--no problems.

The condile locator pad works really well.

I recently read reviews on the EVS RS7 and the EVS Web brace in Dirt Rider or MXA--can't remember which. (you know--the mags really don't tell it like it is because they want the adverisment money! If a mag says a product is junk--they lose out--that is what makes TT site one of the best!) The Web is the better of the 2 EVS braces, costs a bit less as a Donjoy brace, but does not offer you the protection and flexability of use as the Donjoy. It is designed to crumple so your legs don't break! Wow--I thought I was making a choice--save the knee and sacrifice the leg! Bones heal a heck of a lot better than joints! Easier to pin too! I don't think I want my braces to "crumple" because the next thing to go is your knee!

Both EVS braces are much too hot in my opinion, and the RS7 is not adjustable, is very hot and very heavy. You can swim with the Donjoy in fresh or salt water. It is lighter and cooler and the knee pad comes off without tools. I think it is the best off the shelf brace out there. Donjoy has been a major player in sports braces for a long time--but they are just getting into MX and extreme sports. Donjoy is the "official" brace of the US Ski Team.

I did not need a prescription to get my brace from Hanger Orthodics in Kalamazoo. Call Rider (appropriate name!).

Don't get a Donjoy Legend--the lower part is too long and will not work with ski boots, and will go way down into MX boots. The Armor Ski or Armor Action brace are about 2" shorter on the bottom and just touch the tops of my MX boots (retro look Hi Point pro GP) and leave plenty of space on top of my ski boots.

Wow, thanks for the information. Definitely usefull. I'm going to gather all this info I collected and take it into the doctor.

That's if I'll ever get my bike out again...it snowed again..Argh!!

Hey revitup, I caught your post late but I'll give you my experience anyway.
I sprained both my knees at a race. When I returned home I went to an orthopedic doctor in my insurance company's network. He took an xray of both my knees and confirmed that they were both just sprained.I gave him some of my history. I trail run, mtn. bike and cc ski and I've sprained my knees in the past many times. He assessed that I wasn't giving my knees enough time to heel between my working and playing.He wrote me a prescription for knee braces on my recommendation.
I went home and called my insurance provider to find out where to get braces and what models they covered. They told me that they didn't cover off the shelf units only custom fit and to take my prescription to a business that fits and sells orthopedics devices.
I went to http://www.ctibrace.com/ to find a location near me that fits and sells their products. Turns out the closest place was less than a mile from my house.I got sized (casted) for both legs and had my braces in 10 days.
About 6 months later my insurance company sent me a letter requesting a letter from my orthopedic doctor explaining the need for the prescription he wrote me for braces. I called the doctors office and told them of my need for this letter. They said no problem that the letter would be a $3 fee and said I could pick it up that day.

So.... I was able to get two top of the line CTI2 knee braces custom fit for $13 ($10 doctors office copay and $3 for the letter) for less than breakfast for two.

Hope everything works out just as well for you.

**** for the CTi2. Insurance paid all but $70. $1,470 was the total bill for one brace. I like it the best because it is custom built to fit YOUR leg. The soft sleves are also nice. Very satisified!
:DAce

Hi all, since were on the subject,I broke my tibia/fibula last week at Elsinore. Rehab will be 6 months. Does anyone know what kind of protection they make for these injuries ? do I need a knee brace and ankle brace combo or do they make a tib/fib brace ?