My father was on hospice care for less than a month before passing after being in and out of the hospital for over a year. It’s been over 6 months and the equipment company hasn’t picked it up after we were told they’d be by in a few days. Can I sell this equipment? It was paid for by Medicaid/Medicare.
If you look at your fathers paperwork from Medicare you should be able to find the information needed to communicate with them.
You haven't had it long enough to own it if the rules are the same in your state. Obviously someone dropped the ball.
Either way, I'd be seriously concerned about eventual liability as sooner or later I would think an inventory would reveal that a bed is missing. And if you've sold it, you may be on the hook for it. Read the terms and conditions of use when the bed was delivered.
I know that once Medicare pays for DME if you sell it, it may be unethical because accepting payment if Medicare paid can be considered fraud. Medicare should be reimbursed as they paid.
Tricky situation.
Most equipment is picked up, sanitized and rented again.
Some equipment is single use, or single patient.
A commode chair is cleaned and rented again but the waste bucket is disposed of.
A lift is cleaned and rented again but some of the slings are single patient.
There should be a toll free number on the equipment contact the company and ask that they come and get the items. They will tell you if they are single patient or if they need to be returned.
Contact Hospice. Explain the situation and ask that the equipment be picked up.
It might have been that the paperwork for this may have been over looked. And it is possible that they have been paying rental on this equipment. (not a strong possibility but patient numbers on orders may have been mixed up and someone else had equipment that was picked up in error.)
In any case if after exhausting all possibilities if you are still stuck with this equipment and you want to get rid of it look in your area for a Senior Service that has a Medical Lending Closet. They will loan equipment to people that need it but can not afford rental. You will get a tax deduction for the donation. Selling used medical equipment does pose liability risks to both buyer and seller.
wheelchairs and oxygen concentrators. Things like walkers and commodes were puchased because they said they could not be sterilized and given to another patient. They were left at the patient's house and the caregivers could use them or get rid of them. When i had my first hip replacement I was told what I would need such as raised toilet seat, walker and comode. I was responsible for obtaining those and found them for a few $s each at various sales. That suited me just fine. needless to say I kept everything for future use.
Call them again.
I ran into that with a C-Pap machine. One call and they came almost immediately.
I would contact Hospice.
Hospice made all the arrangements for my dad's bed, wheelchair and bedtable to be picked up.
Everything was picked up the next day. Everything else was left for the family to decide what to do with. We had alot of diapers, creams, lotions, shampoos, chuxs and medication etc.
I would not want to get a bill down the road for this equipment so I would exhaust all measures to
to have them pick it up or advise you if you keep it. Whatever you do...get everything in writing.
Good luck
See All Answers