2 replies to this topic

[Murray]

Have a young fella in local SCI Support Group who survived auto accident - is a C-3,4,5,6,7 & T-1 !!! Needs turning every two hours. The Group is trying to find a reasonably priced laterally rotating air mattress for him. Any suggestions on this "durable medical equipment"?

Family insurance is MediCal.

Thanks for your help.

Lynn

[joye]

Greetings! Funny this question was recently posted as I spent a lot of time this week working on this very thing . . . my husband has to be turned every two hours for his lungs to stay clear. As I do the majority of his care . . . this is wearing me down fast. Soooo . . . I had this bright idea to find a bed like the one he had in the ICU . . . a rotating air mattress system. Great idea right . . . well, insurance didn't think so . . . but, to their credit, they did offer an assortment of hoops for me to jump through to at least try (maybe for their own sick humor), but I bit.

I researched this product pretty thoroughly, and found that the Invacare Turn-Q Pluss Mattress, model #BB9612000 seems to be the best because it can rotate up to 40 degrees and can be set on a timer for turning. I also found something very interesting about this product . . . it not only is the most expensive of its kind, it's the cheapest (yes you read that right). And, here's why: If you try to purchase this mattress system from a company that negotiates with insurance or Medicaid or Medicare, then the price is approximately $11,500. However, if you purchase it from a private medical supply company that does not negotiate with insurance/Medicaid/Medicare, etc., it ranges from $5,800 to $6,800. Keep in mind this is only a mattress that fits on most any standard sized hospital bed.

Some of the hoops I was required to jump through were: obtaining doctor RX for the product, having the doctor write a letter of necessity (which my husband's PCP graciously "let" me write for him . . . I guess he thought I had nothing better to do), and I had to provide 4 pieces of documentation that would support the necessity of the product (2 clinical studies and 2 articles published in medical journals).

In the case that the guy in your support group is also required to jump through some similar hoops . . . I'd be happy to share the letter I wrote and the supporting docs.

Here's a couple websites. First one is the one that negotiates and second does not.

Hope this helps . . . I wish your friend luck.

Joye

http://www.invacare-...amp;cat_id=2152

http://www.phc-onlin...e_bb9612000.htm

Edited by joye, 03 May 2009 - 08:26 AM.

[Murray]

joye, on May 2 2009, 10:20 PM, said:

Greetings! Funny this question was recently posted as I spent a lot of time this week working on this very thing . . . my husband has to be turned every two hours for his lungs to stay clear. As I do the majority of his care . . . this is wearing me down fast. Soooo . . . I had this bright idea to find a bed like the one he had in the ICU . . . a rotating air mattress system. Great idea right . . . well, insurance didn't think so . . . but, to their credit, they did offer an assortment of hoops for me to jump through to at least try (maybe for their own sick humor), but I bit.

I researched this product pretty thoroughly, and found that the Invacare Turn-Q Pluss Mattress, model #BB9612000 seems to be the best because it can rotate up to 40 degrees and can be set on a timer for turning. I also found something very interesting about this product . . . it not only is the most expensive of its kind, it's the cheapest (yes you read that right). And, here's why: If you try to purchase this mattress system from a company that negotiates with insurance or Medicaid or Medicare, then the price is approximately $11,500. However, if you purchase it from a private medical supply company that does not negotiate with insurance/Medicaid/Medicare, etc., it ranges from $5,800 to $6,800. Keep in mind this is only a mattress that fits on most any standard sized hospital bed.

Some of the hoops I was required to jump through were: obtaining doctor RX for the product, having the doctor write a letter of necessity (which my husband's PCP graciously "let" me write for him . . . I guess he thought I had nothing better to do), and I had to provide 4 pieces of documentation that would support the necessity of the product (2 clinical studies and 2 articles published in medical journals).

In the case that the guy in your support group is also required to jump through some similar hoops . . . I'd be happy to share the letter I wrote and the supporting docs.

Here's a couple websites. First one is the one that negotiates and second does not.

Hope this helps . . . I wish your friend luck.

Joye

http://www.invacare-...amp;cat_id=2152

http://www.phc-onlin...e_bb9612000.htm

Joye -

THANKS, GAL. This is excellent stuff. Will be back in touch.