Medical equipment can be purchased or rented for a number of reasons, depending on what someone needs or what their circumstances are. When people are dealing with certain medical illnesses or treatments, they may need to use specialized medical equipment, which are not always available from their local hospital or doctor's office.
In the short run, renting can be more cost-effective than buying, particularly for more expensive equipment that you might not use regularly enough to make sense buying it. It can drastically lower the cost of medical equipment if you only need to use it for a short amount of time. On the other hand, for things that are used a lot or have a longer lifespan, purchasing equipment can end up saving you more in the long term. Depending on what type of health insurance you have, insurance may help cover the cost of medical equipment purchases, rentals or both.
For example, Medicare and private health insurance often cover a percentage of the cost if a patient needs durable medical equipment (DME) like oxygen equipment, hospital beds, or wheelchairs to use long-term. The patient usually has to pay a deductible, coinsurance, or copayment as part of the coverage. If insurance finds that the DME is medically necessary, they often cover the rental costs of this equipment when someone needs it in the short-term.
When a patient has an emergency or temporary medical need, healthcare providers can quickly get the equipment they need by renting it. This also lets people switch to newer models or technology as they become available through renting without having to commit to owning the same model long-term.
Having limited space can affect both the facility's and the patient's decision on whether to have medical equipment on hand that they own or rent. In order to save space, facilities with limited space (or the patient themselves) might want to just rent equipment when it is necessary. The patient may not want to have the extra equipment in their home when they no longer need it. Renting could take the hassle out of taking up more space or trying to donate the acceptable used items to someone else. Meanwhile, if someone has to have the equipment long-term, then owning it does not take up more space than if they rented it and it is a moot point.
Where to Find Medical Supplies
A lot of local medical supply stores rent out medical equipment, including walkers, hospital beds, and wheelchairs. They might have special promotions or discounts for rentals.
Medical equipment is available for rent on websites like Vitality Medical, AvaCare Medical, and Health Products For You. They usually have good prices and sometimes have special rates for specific rentals.
As mentioned before, certain health insurances may pay for or give you discounts on medical equipment rentals and purchases. Check with them to see what they can offer you.
Project MEND, ALS Association, Med-Eq, and Goodwill Home Medical Equipment are just a few nonprofits or charities that provide medical equipment at reduced rates or free, depending what your financial situation looks like.
There are medical equipment resale shops that sell used medical equipment. Some of them may also rent out their products or give rental discounts.
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