The pandemic created supply chain issues that were worsened across the board. Rehabilitation equipment and medical devices did not suffer from delays. Enter Middleton, Wisconsin-based RehabPulse — the company gets patients the medical equipment they need at lower prices and handles the insurance reimbursement for the patient to boot.
Patients can shop online for the rehabilitation equipment they need. This allows patients to access their rehabilitation devices from the comfort of their own homes.
Patients who need rehabilitation equipment usually have to visit a DME (brick and mortar) store in order to purchase the item. This means that patients can only see what is in stock at the store rather than having access to all of the items in one place. Patients in rural areas might not have access to a DME shop near them, which makes it more difficult to obtain equipment.
“Insurance reimbursable DME is generally purchased in local DME dealer’s brick and mortar shops, requiring potentially disabled consumers to travel to a location multiple times before they can receive their product,” said Gaurav Mishra, president and CEO of RehabPulse in an email. “Most of these DME dealers are small shops, with only a few players operating at a national level. Patients are limited to searching for dealers within their immediate vicinity, and sometimes there may not be one in rural areas. RehabPulse has no such restrictions for patient and the technology platform allows it to serve patients across the entire US.”
Online DME stores such as Spinlife and Rehabmart are available. They do not accept insurance claims. Mishra explained that the patients need to purchase the equipment and then take care of the insurance reimbursement.
RehabPulse addresses both needs: the company claims to have a thorough stock of rehabilitation equipment in an online market place and it handles insurance reimbursement so patients don’t have to.
RehabPulse’s online marketplace offers equipment — wheelchairs, hinged braces, oxygen concentrators, breast pumps, button pull zipping aids, and other items. The online marketplace also offers a network for home evaluators, clinicians, and therapists who can perform home assessments and white-glove delivery. This includes device set-up, maintenance guidance and training once equipment arrives.
“Amazon only sells non-custom DME products. For example, a custom wheelchairs that needs measurements and has number of parts configuration cannot be sold on Amazon,” Mishra said. “Amazon only sells non-custom preboxed products in DME. If the products are built on order, Amazon does not sell it.”
He also stated that Amazon does NOT provide rental services, repairs or clinical evaluations, and therefore cannot make insurance claims. For products that are sold across both platforms, Mishra stated that RehabPulse offers a price match guarantee and claims to have the lowest prices.
In 2020, the company launched its e-commerce platform. It added an insurance claims section in the middle 2021. In 12 months from launch, the business grew exponentially — 1400%, claimed Mishra. Mishra stated that the company expects to reach the multi-million dollar range in annual revenues, but declined to give specific numbers due to the fact that it is private.
“Dealers have historically charged high mark-ups on DME, causing both insurance companies and consumers to pay more for their rehabilitation equipment,” Mishra said. “RehabPulse e-commerce platform can disrupt the traditional brick and mortar model, offering a more affordable and convenient channel for purchasing DME. RehabPulse has further developed almost 85% nationwide coverage of contracted technicians and therapists to offer homecare services and look after these mobility challenged customers right at their home.”
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