Repairs: Think differently about post-rental repairs

Q. How can I best help patients who need repairs after the capped-rental period has ended?

A. Finding help with repairs after the capped-rental period is a frequent frustration for patients. Maybe they bought their device online and don’t know where to turn. Or perhaps their dealer has gone out of business, or they can’t get help from their original provider. It’s equally frustrating for HME dealers who want to help patients who need repairs but must expend unreimbursed time to do so.

Think ‘patient choice’

Patients bring a consumer mindset to their health care, and they expect choices. When virtually anything can arrive in two days from Amazon, the prospect of a 60-day turnaround for their CPAP repair seems unfathomable. Let them know that the option to bypass insurance through retail repair exists. Then let them make the choice.

Yes, they will pay for it

One of the most common responses we hear when we talk to dealers about retail repair is, “My patients won’t pay for that.” To that we say, “Yes, they often will.” The cost of an out-of-pocket retail repair is often comparable to their deductible, and patients will pay for quicker turnaround and a more consumer-friendly experience.

Minimize touchpoints

The more time you spend on patient-owned equipment after the capped-rental period, the less time you have for patient care. All those touchpoints add up: getting equipment from the patient, issuing the short-term rental, sending the equipment to the manufacturer for an estimate, submitting the estimate to the payer, waiting on authorization, transmitting approval back to the manufacturer, receiving the repaired device and – finally! – getting the device back to the patient and recouping the loaner. In today’s reimbursement environment, this status quo isn’t working for dealers or patients. It’s time to think differently about post-rental repairs.

Dan Meyer is chief revenue officer at Repair Authority. Reach him at dmeyer@repairauthority.com or 440.334.2172.