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Medicare and Durable Medical EquipmentBuying Equipment for Someone on Medicare Can be Tricky Business. The following is extracted from an article intended for professionals who work with Medicare recipients. It is an excellent source of information for anyone who might have a need for medical equipment and is having difficulty understanding what is and is not covered by insurance. This information is reprinted with permission of the Center for Medicare Education, www.MedicareEd.org Medicare coverage of wheelchairs, hospital beds and other durable medical equipment (DME) is a major source of confusion for people with Medicare, their families and the professionals who work with them. Yet, consumer publications rarely touch on it. In this brief we offer an overview of DME coverage issues and payment policies. Many people with Medicare and their families mistakenly think getting home medical equipment is as easy as going to their local medical equipment supplier and bringing the equipment home, or calling up a company that advertises on television and having the equipment delivered right to their door. For example, there are commercials on TV that show older people riding scooters at the grocery store, the mall or the park; these often lead people to believe that almost anyone can get Medicare to pay for a scooter to run errands and perform other activities. Unfortunately, it's not usually that easy. Medicare's coverage requirements and related rules for getting medical equipment are complex and often confusing. It's crucial for you and your clients to understand that durable medical equipment is primarily medical, and the entire process of acquiring Medicare-covered equipment starts with your client's physician. It's also important to understand that each Medicare-covered piece of equipment has specific requirements that your client must meet to ensure Medicare payment. For example, the commercials mentioned above do not tell people that they must be unable to walk to get a Medicare-covered scooter. |