Do dme get kickbacks from wheelchair manufacturers?

[1971cuda]

Ok I've had horrible DMEs. They seem like pushy car salesmen. They tell you what you want to hear and than once chair is ordered kind of kick you to the wayside.

Im just curious if DME get kickbacks? They are always pushing tilite and never listen to other suggestions.

Just curious???

[funklab]

I'll be interested to hear the answer from someone who knows. I know we have some DMEs who are members here. My suspicion is that they get paid either a percentage or the difference between their cost and what they charge us. Either way I'm sure there is an incentive for them to sell you the most expensive chair they can.

[1971cuda]

I think your right funklab. I seen a post on here about pts getting kickbacks from DMEs. Where I'm from I don't think so because we can pick which DMEs we want to use. But I'm running out of DMES to use. Guess I'll use the one that sucks the least and doesn't get irritated when I ask them to fix something that's not a big ticket item to bill insurance.

[canuck]

Of course there is a mark up from dealer cost, that mark up is how they pay the staff and all the things involved in keeping the doors open. No doubt there are some extreme mark ups sometimes.

[Jim]

I think DME's make much more money off those who have Medicare/Medicaid.

[slow_runner]

Do dme get kickbacks from wheelchair manufacturers? [/COLOR]

Politely known as incentives??

[Andy]

. They seem like pushy car salesmen.

That is what they pretty much amount to. If not for the insurance machinations they would have no purpose to exist. Re pushing TiLite...I guess you are lucky they aren't pushing other brands

[crppled007]

I believe they do, a couple years ago I got a new perMobil m300 and the bill from the factory came out to $30,000 and what they build by insurance was $60,000! That's the problem we have right now with healthcare and insurance that doctors, hospitals and DMEs charge that amount in the insurance shells it out. Thus raising my premium, and everyone else's post quick reply

[nmireles]

DME dealer for 20 plus years never got any kick backs from any manufacturers. If your dme supplier is pushing Ti lite it's because he wants you to have a superior chair for the cost. Ti lite is a more expensive chair and they don't make more on Ti lite they make less. Here's how it works and I don't even mind telling you. Pretty much every manufacturer sales the chair to dme stores at a 40 % discount across the board to all dme stores. It's in the contract that no dme store should have a better price every one has the same opportunity to make the same amount of money. No matter which chair they sell each chair has a hcpcs code. There's a certain amount they can bill for each hcpcs code. This amount is set by the us governement basically medicare. They call it customary and reasonable amount to bill. You can try and bill for more it doesn't matter they are going to pay you the amount that hcpcs code allows. For each up graded option like swing away arm rest. That also has a hpcs code and they will only pay that allowable. If you are on medicare and a dme provider with a medicare number. Medicare is only going to pay 80 % of that allowable you have to accept that amount of payment or loose your medicare contract. If you try to bill more than that or try and collect the surplus 20 % from the patient. You can loose your medicare provider number all together.

[Bob Sullivan]

It is unlikely a low volume dealer will get much of anything as a kickback for plugging even pushing their product. But any dealership will likely get some perks, and various little trinkets (Football tickets, flat screen TV's and other trinkets) for some sales. A higher volume dealership may spread the perks around to their salesforce. This is the most common sort of kickback. One horse shows are most usually a low volume business, his company contact will get the majority of the cash rewards.

There are alway some exceptions to the rule. But gifts are still spread around to very productive sales persons. Now his mechanic or delivery/set up guy is rarely rewarded. They just do what they are told for weeks paycheck. There is no real difference between any sort of business that deals with various salable products.

[pfcs49]

The situation sucks!
22 years in a chair. I'm on my third ever chair; the third chair (~2001) we paid cash for after the hassles of dealing w/Medicare)
Waited 6 months!! for a seating clinic. (at least I wanted an accurate description of what's good for me as well as pressure map my two cushions against whatever is available. I have a Quad Roho deep, and a Jay Deep Comfort? w/10% overfill per their prescription 5yrs ago)
They're telling me Medicare will not provide titanium fames anymore; that options like Frogslegs or side shields are not covered anymore, just very basic stuff (no Spox wheels for you!)
And there's no flexibility! You can't order Spox wheels, deduct the difference of basic wheels, and personally make up the difference.
I'm waiting to see what my cost will be for this "basic" chair and if it's reasonable, go ahead just to have a spare, but I think they're just unreasonable!
I'm from the gummint' and I'm here to help you!

[RollinPositive]

DME is a business just like power chair and wheelchair manufactures.

They are not charities so they like any businesses are out to make money.

But we as consumers should go in having done advance research just like buying a car.

With social media, user feedback and manufacture input we should be telling ATPs what we want and why.

If you get push back ask for another ATP. If you still get push back reach out to the manager and or CEO.

If its a mom and pop and your not getting good service by on line.