You or a loved one may have therapeutic equipment and supplies as part of a treatment plan. You may need to receive a recommendation or referral from your professional healthcare provider to provide to your DDA case manager. Read below to learn more about the process and steps.
What are Specialized Equipment and Supplies?
These are medical equipment and supplies needed to help you stay safe and healthy in your home. They can also be non-medical items that help you follow a therapeutic plan designed by a professional.
Why do I need a recommendation or referral from my healthcare provider?
It is similar to why you need a prescription for medical equipment through your health plan. Your treating doctor or therapist should evaluate you and your needs to make sure the medical or non-medical equipment is right for you.
What should my doctor or therapist include in the referral?
For medical equipment, your doctor or therapist should describe your needs and how the equipment will be used by you. For non-medical equipment needed to participate in a therapeutic plan, your therapist should describe why the equipment is needed and how it will be used in the treatment. Your therapist should provide the Department of Social and Health Services’ Developmental Disabilities Administration with a summary of the therapeutic plan. You can send it to your case manager if DDA does not have it.
Your case manager might ask you more questions about the item and how you will use it. Your case manager will need to know how the item will be used, what other things you have tried before or what else you could try to help you. It is helpful to give your case manager examples of how you have used the item before, and how you plan to use it in the future.
What else might be needed?
Ask your DDA case manager for a list of contracted specialized equipment and supply providers or contracted purchasers. Your case manager must receive an invoice from a contracted provider for the item(s) that you are requesting before submitting for DDA approval. If a case manager receives an invoice that is more expensive than the suggested retail price, they will contact you to let you know that you can select a different provider that may offer the same item at a better price or that you can choose to use that provider anyway even though it will take more of your annual budget.
