DME is acronym for Durable Medical Equipment. Durable Medical Equipment refers to medical equipment needs in the home to aid better quality of living. Such items include CPAP machines, home oxygen, nebulizers, bedside commodes, walkers, hospital beds, phototherapy, power wheelchairs and home sleep studies.
Medicare coverage of DME varies by state. For Durable Medical Equipment in Gastonia NC, Medicare will only cover certain durable medical equipment if purchased from a contracted supplier. North Carolina is one of these states.
There is an unforeseen importance in durable medical equipment. CPAP machines, for example, help save lives. People with a diagnosed sleep apnea use a CPAP machine at night to help them breathe. Durable Medical Equipment in Gastonia NC can be expensive, but these necessary durable medical devices can greatly improve their owner’s quality of life.
Phototherapy is also a necessary piece of durable medical equipment for babies who are born jaundice. If the babies do not receive the light therapy complications could arise up to and including sepsis, biliary cirrhosis, pancreatitis, coagulapathy, renal and liver failure.
Power mobility devices are considered Durable Medical Equipment in Gastonia, NC. Beneficiaries who want to get coverage for a power wheel chair or scooter must have a permanent or temporary disability that impairs his or her mobility. And, the chairs must be primarily used in the home for Medicare to cover the expense. The term “in the home” does not mean that the chair cannot be used outside the home. It relates primarily to whether the need for the power device is based on improving mobility function for activities that take place in the home.
Oxygen is a very important piece of durable medical equipment. Suppliers will deliver home oxygen throughout the evenings and weekends. If you have low blood oxygen levels, breathing extra oxygen can help you feel better and lead to a longer more active life. A prescription must be written for home oxygen. Included in the prescription must be the liter flow or how much oxygen you need per minute (LPM.) Home oxygen can come in a liquid or gaseous form. Most people choose the gaseous form of oxygen therapy. The Gastonia NC Durable Medical Equipment supplier should educate the patient of use of the equipment, the importance of not smoking while wearing or in the vicinity of the durable medical equipment and the effects to will have on the patient.
In conclusion, Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, is a very important variable in healthcare. Without it, life expectancy and quality of life would be much lower for many people.
