Medical Equipment Rental Pricing in Calgary

How monthly billing works

Every rental is billed by the month. Before anything is delivered, we confirm which model you are getting, its monthly rate and the date the rental starts, so you know what you are agreeing to before the truck arrives.

If you need the equipment for longer, phone and extend it; there is nothing to return or re-book. When you no longer need it, phone and we arrange a pickup. We confirm any delivery or pickup charge for your address when you book, so there is nothing to find out after the equipment arrives.

Why rates are shown as ranges

Within one type of equipment, models differ in ways that matter for the person using them, and those differences show up in the rate. Among bariatric beds, Drive’s 42-inch bed is rated 600 lb in total, while Invacare’s BAR750 carries 750 lb in total and its width can expand from 39 to 48 inches. Among lift chairs, some sizes are built for petite users and others are wide, heavy-duty frames. Among scooters, battery options change how far a model can travel on a charge.

So the range covers the models we rent in that category. We match the model to the person’s weight, the room and the care team’s advice first, and then confirm the rate for that model. You won’t be moved to a pricier model for features the person doesn’t need.

Receipts for insurance and benefits claims

Many extended health plans include medical equipment, but each sets its own conditions, and whether a rental is eligible varies by plan. We can’t tell you whether yours will pay. What we can do is give you the paperwork insurers usually ask for: an itemized receipt showing the equipment, the rental period and what was paid.

Most workplace plans ask for a prescription or written recommendation from your doctor, an itemized receipt, and sometimes a cost estimate before you rent. Manulife’s group claim form, for example, asks whether rental equipment has been returned. Call your insurer, or check your plan booklet, before you book, and ask us for a written quote if they want an estimate first.

• Ask the doctor, OT or PT for a written recommendation or prescription naming the equipment
• Ask your insurer whether equipment rental is eligible and whether they want an estimate first
• Keep every itemized receipt, and submit them as your plan directs
• If your need relates to a WCB claim, talk to your WCB case manager before you rent, because equipment must be approved first

Renting against buying

Monthly rent adds up, so the honest comparison is about how long you will need the equipment and how sure you are of that. For a few weeks or months of recovery, renting usually costs less than buying, and you avoid owning a hospital bed or lift afterwards. For a need that will last years, buying, often with funding, usually makes more sense.

The uncertain cases are where renting earns its keep. Recovery might take six weeks or six months. A person may move from a bed to a lift chair as they get stronger, or the other way as care needs grow. Renting lets you change equipment as the situation changes, and it can bridge the time while longer-term funded equipment is being arranged.

Funding options to ask about

Most of our rental customers pay privately or claim through a private or workplace benefits plan. Other programs may apply to some people, and each works differently. None of them guarantees payment for a rental, so ask the program before you rent.

• Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL): helps eligible Albertans with long-term needs obtain equipment through vendors it has approved. It does not pay for short-term rentals, such as recovery after surgery. Many people rent while waiting for AADL-funded equipment.
• Workplace and individual health plans, such as Alberta Blue Cross, Sun Life and Manulife plans: check your booklet or call the insurer; many ask for a prescription and itemized receipts.
• WCB-Alberta: equipment for a work injury must be pre-approved, and an OT assessment is required. Talk to your case manager first; we can supply a quote.
• Veterans Affairs Canada: special equipment must be prescribed by a health professional VAC recognizes. Ask VAC how rental is handled for your situation.
• Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations and Inuit: needs a prescription, and some items need prior approval. Ask NIHB before you rent.