I remember back when my Dad needed a wheelchair so he was able to obtain one through Medicare.
He had it a few months, rarely used it, so he wanted to donate it to the senior facility where he lived. Great idea, but thank goodness I waited as sure enough in the mail came a statement from the Medicare approved store that the wheelchair was a "rental". The statement wasn't very clear so I called the store. Yep, a rental. Oops, that would have been embarrassing if I had donated it.
If you mean that you have equipment that was paid for by Medicare that you no longer need but want to sell now, that can be interpreted as Medicare fraud. For instance, I was a home care nurse. I would order supplies for the patient (on Medicare). Said patient gets well and no longer needs those supplies that were paid for by Medicare. Often the patient or family would tell me "please take those extra supplies and give them to someone who needs them". I could not "charge" the next patient I have for those supplies as they were already paid for by Medicare and ethically not right. If this is what you speak of and you have equipment paid for for Medicare that you no longer use, you should donate that equipment not sell it as it was paid for by Medicare and that can be interpreted as fraud (even though your chances of getting caught are or slim to none). Hope this helps. I used to tell my patients in those instances to donate the equipment to homeless shelters. The bigger items (electric wheelchairs, etc) as well. There are people who need but can't afford those items and would love to get them. As someone stated above, first check to see that those items in fact are being rented as many o times it is being rented. Usually a company will place a sticker somewhere on the equipment. If you find a sticker, call the number given and check to see if it is rented equipment.
If you mean that you have equipment that was paid for by Medicare that you no longer need but want to sell now, that can be interpreted as Medicare fraud. For instance, I was a home care nurse. I would order supplies for the patient (on Medicare). Said patient gets well and no longer needs those supplies that were paid for by Medicare. Often the patient or family would tell me "please take those extra supplies and give them to someone who needs them". I could not "charge" the next patient I have for those supplies as they were already paid for by Medicare and ethically not right. If this is what you speak of and you have equipment paid for for Medicare that you no longer use, you should donate that equipment not sell it as it was paid for by Medicare and that can be interpreted as fraud (even though your chances of getting caught are or slim to none). Hope this helps. I used to tell my patients in those instances to donate the equipment to homeless shelters. The bigger items (electric wheelchairs, etc) as well.
If it's Medicare supplied (not sure about Medicaid) after the patient has had the equipment for a couple of years, it belongs to the patient. The Medicare explanation of benefits would have the equipment listed and the monthly amount Medicare is paying for it if it hasn't been paid off. A call to Medicare would probably answer the question if the EOB isn't readily available. Some less expensive items are Immediatly the property of the patient. Wheelchairs and beds for example take longer to be paid off.
Had a call just yesterday. Not Medicare or Medicaid related. But, anyway, stepdad had a fall monitoring system. He passed last October, evidently his daughter thought it was a purchased system. Nope. Gave the company his daughter's number, had sent her an email about it earlier this week. Guess what? No response. She is his executor so she will probably be purchasing the system.
Point being, most equipment is rented. Right after mom passed the med supply company was picking up her wheelchair, hospital bed, lounge chair, etc. Well not right after but within a couple of hours.
Via, I assume mom has passed, so the reason for not needing the equipment any longer?
Check first. Medicare often only rents items that must be returned. Check with your social worker to avoid selling items not owned. Also you must declare income from selling if owned and it can affect Medicaid.
He had it a few months, rarely used it, so he wanted to donate it to the senior facility where he lived. Great idea, but thank goodness I waited as sure enough in the mail came a statement from the Medicare approved store that the wheelchair was a "rental". The statement wasn't very clear so I called the store. Yep, a rental. Oops, that would have been embarrassing if I had donated it.
For instance, I was a home care nurse. I would order supplies for the patient (on Medicare). Said patient gets well and no longer needs those supplies that were paid for by Medicare.
Often the patient or family would tell me "please take those extra supplies and give them to someone who needs them".
I could not "charge" the next patient I have for those supplies as they were already paid for by Medicare and ethically not right.
If this is what you speak of and you have equipment paid for for Medicare that you no longer use, you should donate that equipment not sell it as it was paid for by Medicare and that can be interpreted as fraud (even though your chances of getting caught are or slim to none).
Hope this helps.
I used to tell my patients in those instances to donate the equipment to homeless shelters. The bigger items (electric wheelchairs, etc) as well. There are people who need but can't afford those items and would love to get them.
As someone stated above, first check to see that those items in fact are being rented as many o times it is being rented. Usually a company will place a sticker somewhere on the equipment. If you find a sticker, call the number given and check to see if it is rented equipment.
For instance, I was a home care nurse. I would order supplies for the patient (on Medicare). Said patient gets well and no longer needs those supplies that were paid for by Medicare.
Often the patient or family would tell me "please take those extra supplies and give them to someone who needs them".
I could not "charge" the next patient I have for those supplies as they were already paid for by Medicare and ethically not right.
If this is what you speak of and you have equipment paid for for Medicare that you no longer use, you should donate that equipment not sell it as it was paid for by Medicare and that can be interpreted as fraud (even though your chances of getting caught are or slim to none).
Hope this helps.
I used to tell my patients in those instances to donate the equipment to homeless shelters. The bigger items (electric wheelchairs, etc) as well.
Point being, most equipment is rented. Right after mom passed the med supply company was picking up her wheelchair, hospital bed, lounge chair, etc. Well not right after but within a couple of hours.
Via, I assume mom has passed, so the reason for not needing the equipment any longer?