Used Medical Equipment: Good or Bad Decision?
If you are on the fence on whether purchasing used medical equipment is the right decision for your practice, you should probably consider the pros and cons. Let me share a few pros and cons with you regarding used medical and refurbished medical equipment.
The Pros:
The biggest benefit is the financial savings you will receive. Most times, you can save as much as 50% or sometimes higher depending on the condition of the equipment. Often times you can search online to find brokers willing to barter, or even let you buy the equipment in bulk if you have a large practice.
If you find a good broker or used medical equipment dealer, you should be able to find some great advice regarding the equipment itself and the quality. If you don’t find the equipment you are looking for you will often find these dealers are very helpful in pointing you to online and offline resources for the equipment you are looking for. The network is key in finding the deals!
The Cons:
The one drawback to purchasing used or refurbished medical equipment is that you may not know the broker. You need to understand the process, and verify whether to devices have been inspected by a certified professional and are in working condition. It also helps to have the vendor provide references from other happy customers.
If you are in the market, make sure you ask about the warranties, how many hours the devices have been in use, and the experience of the staff certifying the equipment.
You may find that you have to shop around a bit, but it is worth the time before you put a large investment forth in new medical equipment for your practice.
Good luck!