Worker’s compensation insurance is purchased by employers. It is a temporary insurance program. It covers medical costs to employees who are injured while performing duties related to the job.

 

It can also replace part of the income that would have been made by the employee if they were able to continue working. In worse case scenarios, it can provide compensation to family members if an employee is killed on the job.

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Worker’s compensation may also pay for any durable medical equipment needed by the employee to assist them with recovering from their injury.

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The worker’s compensation program is state-mandated and employers who do not provide worker’s compensation can be susceptible to fines and even lawsuits.

Common types of durable medical equipment include back brace, knee brace, hand brace, foot brace, TENS units, oxygen tanks, and nebulizers are also considered durable medical equipment (DME).

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For those diagnosed with diabetes, blood glucose strips and monitors qualify as medical equipment allowed by worker’s compensation insurance.

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For those recovering from injury or surgery, knee brace to straighten knee  qualifies as DME.

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Ventilators, hospital beds, and positive airways pressure machines are on this list. A person would also be allowed to have chair lifts, commode chairs and wheelchairs. Other things that are one-time use, such as prepackaged medication, would not count as durable medical equipment, but might still be covered under worker’s comp.

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The list of durable medical equipment is extensive but this gives you an idea of the types of equipment allowed. If they are determined to be medically necessary for use in the home of the patient, and that it is necessary for treatment in recovery, it will likely qualify.

Not every injury is covered under worker’s compensation. If you are an undocumented citizen, agricultural worker, or nanny working under a “cash only” basis and are not part of a workers compensation insurance provided by your employer, you are not covered for job-related injuries.

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Most other types of jobs are covered. If the injury can be proven to be directly related to the job, it is covered. There are even times, like at company social events, where injuries can be covered, especially if the social event is a requirement of the job.

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An example is if an employee falls off a ladder and breaks his leg while building a house for a construction company. Or, if someone develops carpal tunnel syndrome due to too much time spent typing or on the computer.

A face to face encounter with a patient is required in order for you to prescribe durable medical equipment. Once you determine your patient needs the device, simply leave us message, put in an order to BCI . Most doctors file claims for the patients whose insurance requires it.

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There are times when insurance companies require the patient to pay for the equipment up front and be reimbursed for all the costs, or partial costs.

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Some insurance companies require an adjuster to determine whether medical equipment is necessary. 

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Once an adjuster agrees it is needed, the insurance company will likely pay the full amount.

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You can acquire the assistance of specialists who provide the equipment for you. They can also assist with the claims and offer many benefits that ease your workload. These companies are like those who specialize in medication dispensing.

 

Instead of dispensing medications, however, they are dispensing durable medical equipment.

Durable medical equipment refers to items needed to assist people who are recovering from an injury they obtained while at work.

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The equipment must be reusable and mostly for use in the home of the patient, or a long-term recovery unit of a medical institution. With in-home care services on the rise, so are the use of medical equipment needs within the home.

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If a work-related accident requires in home care, worker’s compensation insurance can cover the costs of equipment needed by the patient and the caregiver.