Getting Your Medical Supplies in a New Era
So your doctor tells you that you need an oxygen concentrator for a few therapies a day.
What now? For decades these items, though fairly expensive, have been almost entirely covered by insurance.
For this reason, we never think to 'shop around' - until now.
If you have been paying close attention to the news or the health care industry, you know that everyone is concerned with cutting costs.
One very real way of doing this is by adding a greater cost burden to EVERY health care consumer - that is you! For the first time consumers are actually considering prices since their deductibles have gone "through the roof".
So as you inevitably find yourself diving into these waters here are things you need to know.
1.
Your local durable medical equipment supplier will more than likely have very little or none of the inventory you seek.
This is mainly because it costs a great deal of money to buy items and bring them to the store only to have them sit for months.
They will hold very few things and order them to arrive in a few days when you buy them.
Fitzsimmons Medical follows this strategy.
The organization has a few types of every type of item so that you can get something if you need to get it quickly, but without prior notice, it may not be the exact brand the doctor recommended.
So call ahead.
As you look for the specific brand of item, it may be helpful to look online.
These suppliers usually carry large quantities of multiple brand in large warehouses that can ship out the same day as your order.
2.
You may find better pricing online, but convenience of billing services at your local dme shop.
Your local shop is primarily designed to serve the traditional insured patients.
This included private insurance like Aetna or Humana, or government insurance, such as medicaid or medicare.
Local shops have stringent licensing requirements in order to serve the insured.
They bear the cost of regulations as well as expensive billing software to make certain that they can get reimbursement from your insurance company.
Because of this, you will see that their pricing may seem high..
...
really high.
Since you are responsible for the deductible, it may be more convenient to go with a local provider.
If price is your major concern, going with an online provider can save you 30 to 40% of the price.
Not bad, except you will have to pay out of pocket and bill your insurance yourself.
This process normally takes 30 minutes or so and a bit of documentation submission.
Summary If lower prices, or product availability drives you, then don't waste your time visiting every dme shop in town.
You will probably end up buying what you need online after all.
If you have great insurance and don't feel like going through the hassle of submitting for reimbursement yourself, then go to a local shop, but call first!
What now? For decades these items, though fairly expensive, have been almost entirely covered by insurance.
For this reason, we never think to 'shop around' - until now.
If you have been paying close attention to the news or the health care industry, you know that everyone is concerned with cutting costs.
One very real way of doing this is by adding a greater cost burden to EVERY health care consumer - that is you! For the first time consumers are actually considering prices since their deductibles have gone "through the roof".
So as you inevitably find yourself diving into these waters here are things you need to know.
1.
Your local durable medical equipment supplier will more than likely have very little or none of the inventory you seek.
This is mainly because it costs a great deal of money to buy items and bring them to the store only to have them sit for months.
They will hold very few things and order them to arrive in a few days when you buy them.
Fitzsimmons Medical follows this strategy.
The organization has a few types of every type of item so that you can get something if you need to get it quickly, but without prior notice, it may not be the exact brand the doctor recommended.
So call ahead.
As you look for the specific brand of item, it may be helpful to look online.
These suppliers usually carry large quantities of multiple brand in large warehouses that can ship out the same day as your order.
2.
You may find better pricing online, but convenience of billing services at your local dme shop.
Your local shop is primarily designed to serve the traditional insured patients.
This included private insurance like Aetna or Humana, or government insurance, such as medicaid or medicare.
Local shops have stringent licensing requirements in order to serve the insured.
They bear the cost of regulations as well as expensive billing software to make certain that they can get reimbursement from your insurance company.
Because of this, you will see that their pricing may seem high..
...
really high.
Since you are responsible for the deductible, it may be more convenient to go with a local provider.
If price is your major concern, going with an online provider can save you 30 to 40% of the price.
Not bad, except you will have to pay out of pocket and bill your insurance yourself.
This process normally takes 30 minutes or so and a bit of documentation submission.
Summary If lower prices, or product availability drives you, then don't waste your time visiting every dme shop in town.
You will probably end up buying what you need online after all.
If you have great insurance and don't feel like going through the hassle of submitting for reimbursement yourself, then go to a local shop, but call first!
Source...