Reusing old medical equipment

Is there any kind of group or charity out there that anyone here knows of that accepts used but still usable medical devices? I broke my ankle in August and was stuck in an Aircast for about a month. I feel a little bad throwing the old thing away at this point (it's a little worn but still perfectly usable) since it wasn't particularly cheap and could easily be used again by someone else. I don't care about making any money off of it or getting a tax deduction, I'd just like to do something less wasteful than tossing it in the trash. Any ideas? Google has been surprisingly unhelpful.

dont worry after all the new taxes on medical devices the market for used good should explode.

Check with your local hospital, especially the taxpayer-supported one, if you have one. If they do not accept the equipment, they can suggest who will.

Also, for something like an aircast, check with your local branch of United Cerebral Palsy.

If all else fails, consider AMRF (amrf.com).

Local volunteer EMS provider. If not, possibly local social services department.

There may be too much risk & liability related to used medical devices that are not designed to be reused.

HCHMD

Give them a call... they do absolutely phenomenal work. I'm not sure if an aircast could/would be reused, I know they are more interested in wheelchairs and walkers and whatnot, but maybe.

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ppatin said: I tried Healthcare for the Homeless, but they said they couldn't accept those kinds of items and chances are nobody else would either. Annoying example of how inefficient our healthcare system can be. I guess I'll just list it on the free section of Craigslist.

Whoops, didn't see you already tried them. An aircast may seem impersonal, but realize that semi-porous vinyl has been rubbing up against you for a couple weeks. I'm not sure it would be feasible to wash all the MRSA out.

No way an aircast costs $500. I just got the statement from my insurance company, they paid out $180 for the one I used. The "sticker" price was about twice that, but obviously CareFirst pays much less. Still rather expensive to just toss it away after a month and a half of use though.

goat6500 said: My wife had two ankle surgery's so we have two of the knee-high 'boots' that cost, like, a grand each but are worthless now. At our fantasy drafts, the guys put them both on and have footraces for laughs. I made a robot costume last halloween with them, too. Yeah, it seems dumb that such an expensive, advanced piece of medical equipment can't even be given away but you can, again, thank our wonderfull world of opportunistic, greedy trail attorneys for keeping healthcare costs high. I, myself, had apnea surgery and didn't need my C-pap machine anymore but no group would take it. It costs $500 and can make save lives but that's the price we pay for keeping our attorney's in BMW's and country clubs.

thats strange. the last part of my sleep apnea study was to take a CPAP machine home for a few days to try out. i'm sure the sleep clinic doesn't give every patient a new CPAP machine to try. change the tubing, mask, and maybe the humidity chamber and it should be usable for another person.

http://www.freecycle.com/

HumDoHamaraDo said: craigslist or eBay or freecycle

Put it in the "free" section of craigslist and you are guaranteed to need a new email address. You will be swamped with requests. 90% of those will be from people who will resell it on craigslist.

mewannaxbox said: aleck said: HumDoHamaraDo said: craigslist or eBay or freecycle

Put it in the "free" section of craigslist and you are guaranteed to need a new email address. You will be swamped with requests. 90% of those will be from people who will resell it on craigslist.

Thats very disturbing. You try to help people, but someone takes advantage of that and tries to make a profit off your kindness.

Not in my experience. I used the temporary forwarding email that Craigslist provides - so once the listing finished the email stopped working. Also the individual that took the stuff sent me pictures of what he did with the stuff.

I've done "medical missionary" work in Haiti through Medical Benevolence Foundation and much of the stuff we use is donated goods including crutches, splints, walkers, etc. I believe their warehouse is in Houston. Each denomination has its own medical charity, so check w/your church. For just one item might be best to find someone in your area going on a "mission" who can bring it w/ them.

DamnoIT said: Watch who you give it too. A charity may be fine but an individual could sue you. Sometimes no good deed goes unpunished.

Is there actually a liability risk if I give it away on Craigslist? I hate the thought of throwing away something that someone else could put to good use, but if there's even a small chance of getting sued I'm tossing that thing in the dumpster.

umcsom said: Medicare won't allow it to be reused. Just throw it away and thank the federal govt for being dumb.

Sometimes it's cheaper to throw it away than regulate the "used" market. This is the gov't being smart IMO.

id donate to a local thrift store

Browzer said: http://www.freecycle.com/

THE way to make sure it ends up at a flea market.

Go to craigslist, less bums there.

As a medical professional, I just have to say: please, please, please, please, please, don't pass it on/sell it. If it can't be sterilized, just let it go.

One-use medical equipment is a huge burden on the cost of medical care, but it does limit infection, saves lives and saves money from having to try and cure those infections that would crop up otherwise.

Your skin, especially on your feet, is a wonderful breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and yeast. You've been in a hospital environment and had the cast on for an extended period of time, sweating, compressing, creating a great environment for the little beasties. Don't give them to someone else.

mrwalker said: As a medical professional, I just have to say: please, please, please, please, please, don't pass it on/sell it. If it can't be sterilized, just let it go.

One-use medical equipment is a huge burden on the cost of medical care, but it does limit infection, saves lives and saves money from having to try and cure those infections that would crop up otherwise.

Your skin, especially on your feet, is a wonderful breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and yeast. You've been in a hospital environment and had the cast on for an extended period of time, sweating, compressing, creating a great environment for the little beasties. Don't give them to someone else.

and as a medical professional, you should realize that all those little "beasties" have a limited lifespan, so if the piece of hardware is sent overseas and reused, the "beasties" would be long dead.

My cousin is a heart surgeon who does several months a year overseas in the "Doctors without Borders" program and from what he has related to me, most everything they use is out-of-date, second hand, etc. Obviously, parts that are implanted and left there are not re-used, but something that is externally used? It should self-sterilize reasonably quickly, even MRSA has a limited lifespan.

mrwalker said: As a medical professional, I just have to say: please, please, please, please, please, don't pass it on/sell it. If it can't be sterilized, just let it go.

One-use medical equipment is a huge burden on the cost of medical care, but it does limit infection, saves lives and saves money from having to try and cure those infections that would crop up otherwise.

This is a device not used for wound care and is easily sterilized (a little bleach / water). Isn't your advice in this case the same as saying you shouldn't recycle a shirt?

Not sure if this makes sense with OP's particular device, but with some types of (clearly sterilizable) medical equipment, you might consider calling or emailing local veteran's groups to see whether they could use them, or knew of related veteran's groups that could.

After all Veteran's Day was just 3 days ago....

Our veterans today are coming back with some pretty terrible injuries. Since battlefield medicine has improved so much in terms of saving their lives and preventing disease far fewer of them die of their injuries, but this means that a much greater percentage end up coming back with missing limbs, head wounds and other serious injuries that would have killed them in earlier wars. After they receive battlefield care, then follow-up care in Germany, at Walter Reed or similar facilities, many come back to their home communities and families with their injuries. The number and types of different veteran's groups will likely vary quite a bit depending on your locality, and I'm frankly not certain if they can use some kinds of devices, but my first couple of calls or emails would be to one of these groups.