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Purchasing durable medical equipment

You wouldn’t believe how much medical equipment we have purchased over the years for Quincy.  Therapy equipment, wheelchairs, standers, balls, bolsters, bathing equipment, etc…  And many, many wheelchairs…too many to count  No matter how great a product sounds you can count on two things…one, it will be incredibly overpriced and two, it will fall short of your expectations.  My current problem is Quincy’s wheelchair.  It is a fine piece of equipment but maintaining it is another story.    It has taken five months, FIVE MONTHS, of badgering the supply company and their wheelchair technician to grow and adjust it  properly and the work is still not complete.  By the time the tech is finished with her work the chair will need to be grown again!  What is the deal with this process of buying medical equipment?  First, the prices are insane and it’s frustrating to think that at several stages in the process many people are making money off of our children’s disabilities.  I expect people to help me and charge a fair price, but I am sickened by what insurance companies are billed and what is charged for simple equipment.  I have a bill in front of me right now for a $175 right footplate for Quincy’s chair (that’s the little metal thing she rests her right foot on), a $175 left footplate, a $156 wheel and almost $170 in labor.  That’s a $700 bill to change out the footplates and fix a wheel with a bad bearing.  Insane!  And, this isn’t the final billing.  No wonder my insurance rates are so high.   One thing I’ve started doing is finding dealers who are willing to work with me directly.   Adaptivemall.com is one of those great places.  They have knowledgeable staff and are extremely helpful.  I now use them for any purchase that isn’t terribly complicated, such as bath and bed supplies and therapy equipment.  They have also been great when purchasing lightweight, travel wheelchairs.  The only downside is that you have to handle your own insurance and that can be a hassle, but I’ve found it’s a hassle even when others are working with the insurance company.  Sometimes I’d rather just be the one to handle the claim and do the required follow-up.   When it’s a product that is too complicated to order on my own, like a wheelchair, then I will go ahead and use a local medical equipment suppliers.  I guess the upside is that they handle the insurance and are available for follow-up maintenance and adjustment, but most places still leave much to be desired.  If you talk with any person raising a child with disabilities they will tell you that some of the biggest challenges we face is finding good companies for our business, be it medical equipment dealers, respite and care provider services or even doctors.   If you know of someone in any of these fields that is worth your business, tell everyone you know!  That’s what I do!!

3 Comments to Purchasing durable medical equipment

Rob
October 20, 2008

You are on fire today, my friend! Go get ‘em!

Julie
May 31, 2009

I recently made a “crawler” for my son out of PVC pipe because I refuse to pay $400 for something that cost me $20 in materials. Even with the body-weight support he hasn’t quite gotten the hang of the motion of crawling–he either hyperextends, looking like a skydiver mid-jump, or he just dangles from it pitifully. The catalog I saw the original design in claims that even a child with no head control can use it to successfully crawl–yeah, right. Good thing I didn’t spend the $400…

Tawny
May 31, 2009

Julie, that is awesome! I can’t tell you how many things we have fabricated because the items were so simple and the cost so ridiculous. We started that process right from the beginning when Q was just an infant and we needed a corner sitter. We were stunned at the cost, so we just built one of our own. It was perfect! I am always a little sick when I think about companies that are profiting from our children’s challenges. Doing things like this is our little victory over that!!

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