Home medical equipment, also known as durable medical equipment, refers to those items that patients need in order to care for themselves outside of a health facility such as a hospital. These items are intended for use by a non-professional medical caregiver, such as a family member or friend. Therefore, they are designed so that everyone can use them for extended periods of time.

Examples of medical equipment intended for home use are items such as respirators, wheelchairs, commodes, nebulizers, air purifiers, diabetic shoes, and many more. In order to qualify for one of these machines, one needs a prescription from a doctor. This prescription is necessary for the majority of these pieces of equipment; however, minor items can be obtained without a note from your doctor. These items include walkers or canes.

Once your doctor writes a prescription, he or she may recommend a home medical equipment supplier. If they do not, you will have to do some research of your own but suppliers are not difficult to find. Medical equipment supply companies come in all sizes and can be found all over the country. Two of the largest suppliers such as Walgreens and Invacare can be found in the most highly populated areas but several smaller businesses exist in even the most rural counties.

Once you have found a supplier that you feel will work best for you, you need to provide them with your physician’s prescription. If they cannot fill it, they should be able to point you in the direction of a company that can. A home medical equipment supplier has several obligatory functions to perform when they enter into an agreement with a patient. They are required to provide proper delivery and setup of the equipment, train the patient and his or her caregiver on how to operate the equipment, and provide 24-hour contact information in the case of an emergency. Your supplier also has to provide periodic maintenance service and contact you if anything changes concerning your insurance.

If your doctor does not give you a recommendation, make sure that you do your research thoroughly to find a good refurbished medical equipment supply company. If you want to be well taken care of, you need to find a company that is there to help you, not their own pocket books!

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