What defines durable medical equipment?

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) is any equipment that provides therapeutic benefits to a patient in need because of certain medical conditions and/or illnesses.

What are three examples of durable medical equipment?

Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage

Blood sugar meters.
Blood sugar test strips.
Canes.
Commode chairs.
Continuous passive motion devices.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices.
Crutches.
Hospital beds.

Is DME A medical device?

Equipment and supplies ordered by a health care provider for everyday or extended use. Coverage for DME may include: oxygen equipment, wheelchairs, crutches or blood testing strips for diabetics.

What is not an example of durable medical equipment DME?

As its name implies, the equipment must be durable, meaning that it could normally be used by successive patients. Disposable medical supplies, such as incontinence pads and catheters, are not considered to be DME based on Medicare rules, as they generally cannot be re-used or used by successive patients.

Why is durable medical equipment important?

For individuals with a disability, DME can improve safety while decreasing the need for caregiver assistance. It can substantially improve overall quality of life by increasing a person’s independence with functional mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Will Medicaid pay for a wheelchair?

Medicaid does pay for both wheelchairs and power wheelchairs or scooters. But how it does is largely dependent on where the individual who requires the wheelchair lives: in a nursing home, in assisted living or at home.

How do I write a DME order?

Standardized DMEPOS Written Order/Prescription

Beneficiary name or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) Number.
Description of the item.
Quantity, if applicable.
Treating practitioner name or National Provider Identifier (NPI)
Date of the order.
Treating practitioner signature.

What medical equipment does Medi-cal cover?

Durable Medical Equipment (DME) under the Medi-Cal program includes equipment such as basic and custom wheelchairs, canes, crutches, walkers, grab bars, hospital beds, water or gel pressure mattresses, oxygen therapy equipment, augmentative communication devices and other devices.