DME question

[Snoozie]

This may be a dumb question but here goes.

I recently had to switch DME's due to insurance change out of my control. My previous company now suddenly wants to be involved in my care (their new policy). They are going to contact me within the next few days. So...I have to tell them I no longer require their service (all I used them for was to order masks, filters for machine, etc). Since the insurance change I was able to acquire a new machine because the doctor sent in a request to the new DME, since my Remstar Pro 2 is now considered a dinosaur (but still a darn good machine). I was told that the older machine was a rent to buy at the time I acquired it several years ago, and after a year it was mine, so can they make me give it back? It definitely will make a good backup in the event the new one should need service, although I do have a new travel machine that I purchased.

Only reason that I am asking is that my sister-in-law passed away a year ago and I asked her daughter what they did with her machine (she had the same insurance as I at the time) but a different DME, and they made her turn in the machine. IMO, she should not have had to give it back to the company.

Am I correct?

[kteague]

Been down this road with the rent-to-own issue with some of my mother's medical equipment. Seems at any time during the rental period it could required to give it back. Once the period passed, it was hers free and clear. Only a contract with a forever rental could require it be returned no matter how much time had passed. Any chance your S-I-L was still in the rental period? Yours shouldn't be an issue.

[kevincoop]

No, you will not have to give the machine back. When insurance pays the full purchase price for the machine a dme is supposed to transfer title of ownership of the machine to the patient. This usually means they show in their files that the machine is property of the patient. It is actually in their best interest because as the machine gets hours on it the more likely it will need work. If it is the property of the patient, they have no responsibility for repair costs. The only time I have had insurance not consider the machine a purchase is if it is an older medicare rental. About 5 years ago, medicare required the dme give the customer an option to either keep renting the machine so the dme would keep the machine serviced (dme retains ownership) or opt to purchase the machine and ownership is transferred to the patient. If you choose rental, the dme still has rights to the machine and was able to bill 2 months out of the year to cover the cost of service which was rarely performed.
Kevin