Medical supply expenses can add up very quickly. The costs can be insurmountable and the process can sometimes be daunting, if you don’t know the proper channels to go through. Thankfully, you can achieve financial relief for not only medical procedures, but also for medical supplies, through your insurance.
For seniors, if you only have Medicare Part A, you are only getting a portion of the medical coverage you are entitled to. Signing up for Part B, which even though will cost you extra, is still a smart investment in yourself to cover all of the gaps that Part A does not assist with, one of those gaps being medical supplies. Just by visiting Medicare’s website I was able to find what Part B will cover and how to go about getting the home medical supplies you may need.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE AND WHAT IS COVERED?
Durable medical equipment, or DME, has to be prescribe by your doctor in order for Part B to cover your expenses. Any DME you are seeking to obtain must meet the following standards:
- Durable (can withstand repeated use)
- Used for a medical reason
- Not usually useful to someone who isn’t sick or injured
- Used in your home
- Has an expected lifetime of at least 3 years
Hospital beds, patient lifts, canes, commodes, walkers, and blood sugar test strips are just a few of the items covered. A more extensive list can be found on the Medicare website.
OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES
First, familiarize yourself with the term ‘assignment.’ If you have not heard of this, it is an agreement made by your doctor, provider, or supplier with Medicare to receive payments directly from Medicare with no out-of-pocket cost to you aside from our deductible.
WHICH SUPPLIERS CAN I GO TO?
You can call any local medical supply company you like to find out if they are affiliated with Medicare. On the Medicare website, there is a helpful search tool they have provided to aid in your search of affordable DME. You simply input your zip code and they will let you know if you are in a competitive bidding area. What that means is, “If you live in or visit certain areas, you may be affected by Medicare’s Competitive Bidding Program. In most cases, Medicare will only help pay for these equipment and supplies if they’re provided by contract suppliers when both of these apply,” (Medicare Website). Their search engine is very user friendly and will specify if you are within a competitive bidding area. It turns out only certain items may be limited to competitive bidding suppliers. When I entered my zip code I was only required to go to a competitive bidder for one item, all of the rest fell under the normal guidelines. You simply click on the box next to the item(s) you are in need of and at the bottom right corner of the screen press the search button. A list of all the nearby suppliers will be shown to you along with their location and contact information. Now you can get your supplies with peace of mind.
