Home Medical Equipment
Providing all your Home Medical Equipment & Respiratory Care Services...
Alliance Medical offers a complete line of the most up-to-date medical equipment and supplies to meet the needs of patients at home. From hospital beds to bathing aids, you will feel better knowing that AMI is close to your home and ready to provide the tools to facilitate a rapid recovery.
What you should know about Home Medical Equipment
What is Home
Medical Equipment (HME)?
It's equipment that allows people, who are
injured, disabled or have some other medical condition
to live
at home.
Home Medical Equipment includes a variety of items.
It includes such devices as:
- walkers and wheelchairs
- oxygen delivery systems
- sleep apnea monitors (machines that monitor a person's
breathing during sleep)
- IV equipment
Home Medical is usually prescribed by a health-care
provider
HME is an important part of providing quality medical
care in the comfort of your home!
Why Learn About Home Medical Equipment?
Because you'll get the the most out of HME
if you know how to:
- Choose it - (choosing the right equipment to meet
your needs)
- Use it - (handling, operating and maintaining the
equipment properly)
- Finance it - (understanding the role of insurance
and Medicare and when they apply)
Get the most out of your Home Medical Equipment!
While types of HME range from simple to complex, basic
rules apply to all.
Proper fit is important.
- HME should work for you -- not against you. That's
why the length of a cane, or the size of the seat
in a wheelchair can be crucial. Work with your health-care
provider and medical equipment supplier to ensure
the best results.
Why is correct use essential?
This is true whether you need a walker or
an IV unit ! Pay close attention to:
- Advise from your health care provider
- Instructions from your home medical equipment
supplier
- Information in any literature that may accompany
the equipment
Home medical equipment and supplies may be rented
or purchased from Alliance Medical. Although insurance
coverage varies with each individual patient and his/her
needs, the cost of home medical equipment and supplies
are often covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private
insurance programs.
Why are safety issues also important?
Follow electrical safety rules
- When using electrically-powered HME. Keep power cords
out of the way, never overload circuits, etc.
- Never smoke or light matches around oxygen delivery
systems. Keep fire extinguisher handy. Inform the
fire department that you're using oxygen in your
home.
- Turn off equipment when not in use (unless otherwise
noted by the manufacturer).
- Sterilize or clean equipment as necessary, to avoid
infection. Ask your health-care provider or home
medical equipment supplier for instructions.
- Adapt your home, if necessary and possible, to
accommodate people in wheelchairs, walkers, etc.
- Contact emergency personnel at the local fire department
and electric utility, to let then know about any
special needs in emergency situations.
Professionals can help you choose the home medical
equipment that best suits your situation.
For help
and assistance, you can look to:
- Your local health-care provider, this may be a
physician, physical therapist or other medical specialist
who prescribes home medical equipment.
- Your home medical equipment supplier. He or she
can provide valuable guidance that will help you
choose the equipment that's right for you.
- The hospital discharge planner. This is a trained
professional whose job is to help patients make a
smooth transition from the hospital to home. He or
she can give advice and information about HME.
Work together. Work with your health-care
provider and home medical equipment supplier to get
the most out of
your home medical equipment.
Discuss options. Several solutions may be
available to meet your HME needs. Similar pieces
of equipment
can vary in:
- Cost
- Complexity
- Quality
- Available features
- Also, discuss the pros and cons of renting vs.
owing.
Attend training and counseling sessions,
for example:
- These may be provided by hospital discharge planners
(usually when the equipment and related procedures
are more complex).
Ask questions:
- Speak up. You have the right...and responsibility
to find out all you can about your home medical equipment.
- Discuss any difficulties you have in using HME,
too.
Answer questions:
- For example, the hospital discharge planner may
conduct an in-home assessment. If so, answer all
questions (about your habits, your home's layout,
etc.) thoroughly.
The role of home medical equipment suppliers.
Includes:
- Providing needed equipment and supplies.
Home medical equipment suppliers play a key role
in home health
care by selling or renting the equipment and related
supplies that best meets your needs.
- Support. This often includes an
evaluation of your needs, as well as in-home setup
and instruction. In many cases, staff members are
available to answer follow-up questions by phone,
to help fill out and submit medical insurance claims,
and to help solve any problems that occur. (Be sure
to check insurance coverage before you rent or purchase
equipment).
- Service. Suppliers frequently
offer 24-hour a day service for equipment that may
need to be repaired or replaced.
What to look for when choosing a home medical equipment
supplier.
- A solid reputation...ask for references.
- Expertise...willing to educate customers, give
advice and make recommendations.
- Assignment accepted from your insurance coverage...medicare,
private insurance, etc.
- Up-to-date on current trends, practices and equipment.
(Note) In some cases, the HME supplier may be suggested
by a discharge planner, home health agency, HMO, etc.
The payment process.
For home medical equipment (under medicare
part B) generally works as follows:
- Your claim is filled by the home medical equipment
supplier.
- You pay a $100. deductible for each calendar year
you pay the first $100. of costs, After that, Medicare
reimbursement "kicks in".
- Medicare pays 80% of "approved" amounts...aan
approved amount is the charge Medicare considers
"reasonable" for equipment covered under Part B.
(It may be less than the actual charge).
- You pay the remaining 20%, plus any permissible
charges over Medicare's "approved" amount.
If you can't afford the costs not covered by Medicare.
Look into supplemental insurance policies from private
insurers (for example, policies known as Medigap).
They're designed to make up the difference!
The "Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program"
Helps certain low-income elderly and disabled people
pay Medicare:
- Premiums
- deductibles
- co-payments
In general, you must be at or below the national poverty
level, be ineligible for Medicaid, and have limited
cash and savings.
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