DME Rentals Good for the Environment

When medical needs require the support of durable medical equipment for recovery, rental in lieu of purchase is the green choice. Many times the DME device is needed for a specific time of recovery and once recovery is completed the device becomes unnecessary. At that point there is very little one can do with the DME device. DME equipment is usually not conducive to yard sales and or donation to the Goodwill. So how does one dispose of a no longer needed DME device? Many times the device is stored in the garage collecting dust and dirt and when the former user gets tired of moving it around to get to needed items or gets real energy and decides to clean and reduce junk it is sent to the landfill.

This is where rental becomes the green choice for those requiring a DME device for temporary support of rehabilitation. When possible renting DME equipment provides an environmentally friendly means of getting the support a patient needs during the time they need it and then returning it to the provider for refurbishing and redeployment. Additionally, this assist in keeping health care cost down as it reduces capital expenditure for the provider. Now not every piece of DME equipment is conducive to rental but in today’s economy and in light of our shared concern for mother earth, when possible the rent versus purchase decision is the green choice.

Other factors will enter into your rent versus purchase decision. The cost to rent as compared to the actual cost of the specific DME device needed and what is allowed under your insurance coverage, if you are expecting insurance reimbursement, are two of the primary variables in the equation. Still, when the cost of the rental for the period of time needed is less than or even slightly more than the actual purchase price of the device, renting can provide a means of solving the disposal issue and provide a green solution for our environment.