What do medical supply stores sell?
Medical supplies can be divided into a few core businesses:
- Consumable medical equipment – Bandages, catheters, and diabetic supplies
- Mobility aids – Wheelchairs, canes, furniture, and crutches
- Respiratory systems
- Physical therapy tools – Exercise equipment, lymphadema wraps, compresses, and electronic stimulation
- Women’s pavilion – Clothing items, prostheses, and wigs for female cancer patients, particularly those with breast cancer.
- Medical-grade clothing – Gloves and masks are sold by nearly all medical supply companies, while some also sell scrubs and masks for medical personnel.
What health aids does Medicare Part B cover?
Part B covers the following:
Durable medical goods like oxygen tanks and wheelchairs
Medical supplies including diabetic test strips, ostomy bags, and surgical dressings
Prostheses
Clothing that treats a medical condition, including orthopedic shoes and mastectomy bras.
However, there’s a catch: Sourcing these items vary. Some may need to be purchased and others rented to be covered. The number of goods covered can also be limited, so Medicare may pay for a few of an item to cover needs for a set time (normally one or three months,) but won’t contribute to the purchase of a bulk package. A few common items have set supply limits:
- Diabetic test strips and lancets – 100 per month for insulin users, and 100 every three months for non-insulin diabetics
- Mastectomy bras – 6 per year
- Breast prosthesis – 1 per year
- Orthopedic shoes – 1 pair of depth-inlay shoes and 3 sets of inserts, or 1 pair of custom shoes
Otherwise, Medicare laws state that they will pay for “supplies that are necessary for the effective use of a prosthetic device.” Medicare’s definition of “prosthetic device” includes anything attached to the body, so equipment used with health aids like insulin pumps, glasses and cochlear hearing aids are covered, but in-ear hearing aids devices are not.
How long does it take for a medical supply order to be delivered?
Supplies are typically shipped by ground service like the U.S. Post Office’s Express Mail or UPS Ground. Supplies that need to be kept cold are shipped in gel packs or dry ice. This requires a short shipping time of one or two days.
Some major online medical supply stores have multiple distribution centers, shortening the time it takes for delivery. However, some items may not be stocked in the closest center, increasing shipping time. To be on the safe side, assume any delivery will take the maximum shipping time, typically five or six business days.
Who dominates the medical supply industry?
Large chain pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS are the best known to consumers. Common goods like gloves and diabetic supplies are readily available, but they don’t sell custom-fit products.
Medexsupply, Medexline, and Henry Schein Medical are the leaders in the online market. They offer products once only available through hospital pharmacies. Banner Therapy Products leads the physical therapy market.
Invacare is the largest manufacturer of health aids, including wheelchairs, respiratory aids, hospital beds, and bariatric equipment. While they do direct sales to hospitals, consumers must go through third party companies to buy their products.