Family members charged with clearing out the deceased’s home may unwittingly find themselves in control of left-behind medical items. Nobody in the family may have a use for them, but that does not mean they must be discarded. Provided it is in relatively good condition, the medical equipment can be given to those in need, listed for private sale, or purchased by a dealer.
Donating Used Medical Equipment. The fastest and easiest way to get rid of unneeded medical items is to donate them. Depending on the items, consider the following options for donation:
- A local hospice, nursing home, church, Veterans Affairs hospital, or Center for Independent Living
- Charities, including Alliance for Smiles, American Red Cross, American Medical Resource Foundation, Easter Seals, Med-Eq, MedShare, Project CURE, and United Way
- A local Goodwill store or Salvation Army
- Eyeglasses
- The Lions Club Recycle for Sight program, Eyes for the Needy, and New Eyes
- A local eye doctor who may participate in one of these programs
- Hearing aids
- The Starkey Hearing Foundation Hear Now program
- The Lions Club Hearing Aid Recycling Program, Hearing Charities of America, and Hearing Loss Association of America
In some instances, charitable giving has the added benefit of being tax-deductible. Receipts can be given during an in-person donation or requested from the organization in the case of drop-box or mail donations.
Selling Used Medical Equipment. Before selling a medical device on an online marketplace such as eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace, check the site’s policy. eBay does not allow the sale of medical devices that require a prescription, and Craigslist does not permit the sale of medical devices, period. Meta/Facebook says that it does not allow listings related to medical and healthcare products and services—including medical devices.
Not all medical equipment is considered a medical device. However, it is not always easy to tell the difference. Medical gloves and insulin pumps are medical devices, for example, but wheelchairs and hospital beds are medical equipment.
Selling durable medical equipment (DME) or home medical equipment (HME) at the retail level is regulated and requires a license in many states. DME is a specific medical term used by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, and it covers wheelchairs, canes, crutches, hospital beds, and oxygen equipment, among other items. Licensing requirements may not apply to personal DME sales on e-commerce sites, but local laws should be consulted just in case.