Perspective               

People Have Trouble Getting Affordable DME

MRC recently conducted a survey of 150 callers to its hotline who had bought or needed to buy durable medical equipment (DME) such as wheelchairs, oxygen, scooters, hospital beds, walkers, prosthetics, and diabetes supplies.

MRC found that 63 percent of people surveyed did not realize that they could purchase DME less expensively from Medicare-registered suppliers who "take assignment." These registered suppliers who take assignment are called "participating suppliers" and they always accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for DME. Suppliers who register with the Medicare program but do not take assignment may charge higher prices for equipment, and consumers must then generally pay the higher costs up front and wait for a partial Medicare reimbursement. However, MRC also found that 62 percent of those surveyed did not know that they can still get partial reimbursement from Medicare after purchasing DME from a registered supplier who does not take assignment, and their suppliers did not inform them. Sixty percent of those surveyed who used suppliers who do not take assignment had trouble paying for their DME.

To ensure that people with Medicare have better access to affordable medical equipment in the future, MRC recommends the following:

1. Congress should limit the amount that non-participating suppliers can charge, as it does for doctors who take Medicare.

2. Each Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier (DMERC) should create a registry where suppliers list available DME and whether or not they take assignment for each item.

3. Congress should give funding to DMERCs for a hotline to register complaints about suppliers.

4. Congress should increase funding to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) and disability advocate organizations to assist and educate clients with Medicare about their medical equipment options and reimbursement and repair issues.

If you are having trouble paying for your medical equipment and would like to know more about how you can save money by using a supplier who takes assignment, call 1-800-MEDICARE, that's 1-800-633-4227, and ask for a free copy of Does Your Doctor or Supplier Accept Assignment?. To read the study, click here.

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