Smart medical tech requires savvy money know-how
Advancements in technology have made it convenient to track vitals, access immediate assistance and talk to a doctor from the comfort of your own home.
A smartwatch can monitor everything from your heart rate to an irregular heartbeat to your sleep habits.
Other in-home technologies can help you or your caregivers take your blood pressure, glucose-level readings and even X-rays.
Intelligent data-sharing technology, like camera sensors, voice-activated speakers and GPS tracking devices, can make emergency calls, keep you connected to caregivers and help you seek immediate help.
And telehealth — seeing a doctor through a video or phone call — has risen to popularity in the last few years. The use of telehealth skyrocketed to 52.7 million Medicare visits at the start of the COVID pandemic, compared with 840,000 in 2019, according to a December 2021 report by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
New products and services are always popping up, so keep an eye out for new offerings. Last year, Alexa Together rolled out activity alerts and feeds so that one’s family and caregivers can get updates sent to their smartphones, access to an emergency helpline and communication with fall-detection devices. A subscription costs $20 a month or $200 a year.
Before you adopt these medical advances, do your homework to see whether you are eligible for discounts and whether Medicare, Medicaid or insurance covers part or all of the expense.
Some Medicare Advantage plans offer “wellness bucks” that will cover up to $300 a year toward any wearable device that tracks your heart rate and the number of steps you walk. Ask your insurance company or Medicare Advantage provider whether they offer savings on wearables purchases, and be sure to read the terms.
You should also find out whether you can earn rewards points by using mobile apps to track your activities, such as walking, swimming, biking or running.
As for basic equipment, Medicare Part B subscribers who’ve met their deductible may obtain a lower price on items such as canes, scooters, hospital beds, wheelchairs, oxygen equipment and blood sugar meters and test strips.
It’s easy to get jaded by medical bureaucracy, paperwork and insensitivity, but the extra work can pay off. For example, you must get a doctor’s prescription for basics, like a walker or a shower chair — known in bureaucrat-speak as durable medical equipment — if you hope to get insurance coverage for those purchases.
Ask your insurance company for a list of local medical equipment suppliers. You can also research whether medically necessary equipment is eligible for reimbursement from a flexible spending account or a health reimbursement account. You may also find deals on Amazon, CVS or Walgreens’ websites, but keep in mind that they provide no in-home setup or repairs.
More expansive help can be found on free apps. The Medisafe Medication Management pill and medicine reminder app offers fun medication reminders, using voices from Darth Vader or a vibrating pillbox. It lets you add refill reminders, drug-interaction warnings and choose a caregiver to receive notifications, too. Another app, Flush - Toilet Finder & Map, lets you search for the nearest public restroom and access a map to it. Users weigh in on the restrooms’ accessibility and cleanliness.
There are endless technological resources out there to enhance your wellbeing and stay on top of your health. So enjoy the powers of technology and stay within your budget at the same time.