Durable Medical Equipment Costs Just Another "Medicare Inefficiency"

Online, November 27, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Los Angeles, CA - When Medicare recipients don't have the money to pay for medical equipment, they often rely on the system to help them rent what they need. Yet the cost of renting often exceeds the upfront purchasing cost for the same item.

Take a wheelchair, for instance.

One of the nation's leading providers of home health care products recently rented a wheelchair to a Medicare beneficiary for a total taxpayer cost of $1,200. If the recipient had paid cash and purchased the wheelchair on her own, however, the provider would have only charged her about $350.

"It's that kind of situation that illustrates how important health care reform really is," stated Alan Weinstock, an insurance broker at http://www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com. "It also shows why it's so important for seniors to understanding their Medicare benefits."

Though durable medical equipment costs are only a small portion of Medicare's $444 billion annual budget, the wheelchair tale is just one small illustration of Medicare inefficiencies.

Currently Congress sets Medicare payment rates and, in the case of the wheelchair, it determined that wheelchairs should be rented for 13 months. After that, the user can opt to own the wheelchair. Unfortunately, by then the overall cost of the item has likely exceeded its upfront value.

Weinstock indicates that his agency is dedicated to helping seniors walk through issues such as the wheelchair dilemma. The brokers at http://www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com specialize in Medicare supplement insurance, also known as Medigap insurance. The Web site gives those 65 and older the opportunity to compare rates, plans and benefits from several prominent insurance companies.

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