What is durable medical equipment?
• Can withstand repeated use • Is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose • Is generally not useful to a person in the absence of an illness or injury • Is appropriate for use in the home Often a physician will prescribe special equipment for use by a beneficiary in his/her home. The equipment may provide therapeutic benefits or enable the beneficiary to perform certain tasks that s/he is unable to undertake due to certain medical conditions and/or illnesses.
Durable medical equipment includes, but is not limited to, the following: hospital beds, crutches, canes, wheelchairs, walkers, peripheral circulatory aids, cervical collars, traction equipment, physiotherapy equipment, oxygen equipment, and ostomy supplies. You should always check with both your provider and Independence Blue Cross to determine whether an item is considered to be durable medical equipment.
Durable medical equipment (DME) refers to a host of different medical devices or pieces of equipment that may be used for people receiving care outside of the hospital. These things are designed to be used more than once and for the duration of a person’s illness. They can be split into certain groups depending on type and could include inexpensive items that are easy to buy, items that need regular servicing, prosthetics, items with limited use periods, and oxygen and oxygen supplies. Some forms of durable medical equipment are only needed for short periods of time. People might need crutches for a month or two, or a wheelchair for the same length of time. A health insurance company may or may not help cover the cost of this. Certain plans like Medicare must cover certain things associated with durable medical equipment, provided it is prescribed or recommended by a doctor and is obtained form an authorized medical supplier. Of course, in the short term, many pharmacies can rent peopl
Durable medical equipment (DME) is equipment that is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose, can withstand repeated use, and is appropriate for use in the home. Some examples of DME include hospital beds, walkers, wheel chairs and oxygen tents. Are disposable medical supplies like bandages considered DME? Medical supplies of an expendable nature, such as bandages, rubber gloves and irrigating kits are not considered by Medicare to be DME. Does Medicare pay for DME all the time? Medicare only covers DME if it is necessary and reasonable for the treatment of an illness or injury, or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member. Medicare does not routinely cover air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and several other supplies that it considers to be not primarily medical in nature. Though often crucial to a patient’s well being, these supplies are considered to be convenience items which may be useful to a beneficiary in the absence of illness or injury. However, co
