Finding Deals on Mobility Devices and Supplies

Throughout your journey with COPD, you will no doubt spend a great deal of money on medicine and supplies to assist you with your symptoms. Insurance does cover some, but not all, of those expenses.

You may struggle to afford your medicine copays, and the extra expenses do add up. There are ways to obtain mobility and even certain medical supplies you need, all while having a reduced financial impact.

Saving and selling essential needed equipment

Shower chairs, mobility devices, and oxygen supplies are just some of the equipment you will pay for out of pocket. At some point, you may be looking to purchase or sell to others in need.

Shower chairs are helpful in limiting the physical burden of standing while showering, allowing you to focus on the process of showering and easing the shower anxiety experienced by most patients with COPD. The single-seat versions of these chairs average $30 or more, while the double-seat versions allow for ease of transfer over a bathtub into the shower or allow for extra room to scoot in and out of the shower if needed.

These chairs are considered personal care medical devices and are challenging to resell. Places like Facebook marketplace do not allow personal medical equipment to be listed, but I have found success selling some items like this on OfferUp and Craigslist. I may have paid $50 for a shower chair but have been able to sell it for $10-$15 if I am lucky.

Wheelchairs and walkers are used personally but are easier to sell. If you purchased a walker or transport wheelchair for $75- $100, expect to get around 30%- 50% of your original purchase price if the items are kept in good working condition. This has been my experience.

Tips for online and secondhand finds

Supplemental oxygen supplies like specialty breathing exercisers and nasal cannulas are rarely covered by insurance, and they are not something you can resell once used. I have found a wide variety of breathing aids and exercisers online and on Amazon that have greatly impacted the quality of breathing that supplemental oxygen alone could not provide. 

We ordered several different nasal cannulas before we found the ones that fit, and we tried many devices that assisted my mom at various stages of her COPD journey. The most cost-effective way we found was to buy these items online or if you come across them in garage sales or online resell websites. There is more room to negotiate a lower amount from a private seller or a garage sale than in a pharmacy or medical supply store.

Finding deals

Our emotional-financial connection to these items may cloud the reality of what a fair price is for selling the items. It is important to do your research and see what items of similar quality are being sold for. Keep a keen eye on area garage sales, even Facebook postings, and marketplace listings of items you have in your possession.  

You may decide to consolidate your equipment if someone in your circle has a need, or on the flip side, if you are looking to upgrade to a newer version of the equipment, you may come across someone who is selling one that they no longer need.

So while some mobility and medical supplies can be costly, you can still find deals on some if you keep an eye out. What are some ways you have been able to find deals on these supplies?