Families or therapists must complete the Repair Request Form, and must submitted to HME or a local dealer indicated on the form for the repair request to be conducted. Please note it is important to note the age of equipment (equipment under 2 years or inside the manufactures warranty period must be repaired by the selling dealer) and if the equipment was funded by At Home Program (only equipment funded by At Home Program is eligible for repair). If families or therapists cannot fill in the form, please call HME to arrange a repair request or email HME.
Please note that the following are examples of repair requests that are not eligible for repair:
Damages caused by client or third party damage are not covered (i.e.: wheelchair hit by car, item damaged by airline). For those items, the clients/other funder (ICBC) must cover the repair
One flat tire repair is covered each year. After one flat tire, it is the client’s responsibility to have it repaired. Clients must put air in tires on their own, this is not a service that is offered
Batteries have a useful life of 3-5 years. As such, one battery change every 2 years is covered under CMEDS. In the event the batteries become discharged due to lack of charging (ie. powerchair not used over summer), CMEDS will not cover this and alternative funding will be required.
Damage caused by misuse (i.e. item left out in rain and power joystick is damaged)
Lost items are not covered (i.e. missing legrests), these should be quoted to the AHP
Damage caused by fire or floods should be claimed on home owners insurance
All modifications are not covered, these should be quoted to AHP
Please see the CMEDS Repair Request Form that may be completed and sent to CMEDSTech@hmebc.com Note: Form can be filled in electronically (fillable PDF). Requests without form will not proceed.
For all Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island clients, submit the CMEDS repair request form directly to HME at CMEDSTech@hmebc.com or call at 604-821-0075 or 250-386-0075 for Southern Vancouver Island. Do not use any other dealers in the Lower Mainland or Southern Vancouver Island (including Nanaimo), the repair request must go to HME for these zones to the above email address. For clients outside Southern Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland, select the nearest out of town dealer from the list below and submit the repair request form to the closest dealer. If you have questions, please email the CMEDSTech@hmebc.com email address for assistance.
Modification vs Adjustment vs Repair
What is a modification and what is an adjustment? What does it mean anyways?
At a high level the major differences between an adjustment and a modification is:
Adjustment:
An adjustment is a non-permanent change to equipment that can be accomplished onsite with basic tools and does not require new parts to be completed. These can be completed at the time of original delivery, or within a reasonable time frame from the original delivery date (i.e. 30 days)
An adjustment can be requested on the CMEDS Repairs Request form
Adjustments can be performed by HME for CMEDS equipment
Modification
A modification is a permanent alteration to equipment that requires new parts on the base product
For any modification requests made within 14 days of equipment delivery, modifications will be permissible through CMEDS if the parts are available in the recycled pool. If the parts are not available, and/or it is past 14 days, then the request should quoted by any MSA dealer to AHP
A modification request needs to submitted to the At Home Program for approval with a quote, and Letter of Justification from the prescribing therapist for the requested components
A modification may be quoted by any MSA dealer, as it is not through the CMEDS program
Please note that CMEDS has a limited stock of recycled parts harvested from equipment that has been written off. CMEDS does not purchase parts for modifications, therefore if accessories are not available from the pool, please refer to AHP funding
Please note that CMEDS will not “down” other pieces of fully assembled equipment/systems to adjust or modify a piece of equipment that is with a client
Adjustments
Modifications
Tightening/repositioning a headrest
Changing the width of a chair (if requires new parts)
Adjusting the angle of a backrest or back canes if the product allows
Requesting waterfall armrests when the wheelchair has full length armrests
Lengthening legrests
Changing from plastic footplates to aluminum angle adjustable footplates
Raising the STF if parts are not required (usually up to 1” of change can be accomplished without parts)
Changing STF if parts are needed (i.e. changing caster and wheel sizes.
Changing the dump in the wheelchair
Changing casters/wheels from solid polyurethane to air inserts
Changing center of gravity (if applicable to chair)
Changing the back canes on a chair (taller or shorter)
Repair
A repair of equipment is typically a service request to repair equipment to return it to a usable and safe condition
Repairs resulting from general use of products, such as tuning up the equipment
A repair is completed through the CMEDS program (contact HME or the local dealer listed in the Repair Request Form if outside of HME’s service area)
Lost/damaged (caused by misuse) items are not considered repairs under CMEDS
Replacing a lost anti tipper or wheel lock extension is NOT a repair
CMEDS covers one flat tire per year, otherwise these are not a repair
