DME Loan Closets and Medical Equipment Reuse in Connecticut

Quick-Reference Table

How Medical Equipment Help Works

A DME loan closet or reuse program may lend, give, or sell used equipment. Common items include walkers, canes, wheelchairs, transport chairs, commodes, shower chairs, transfer benches, bed rails, crutches, and knee scooters. Larger programs may also have hospital beds, patient lifts, scooters, or power wheelchairs.

These programs are not all the same. Some are town programs. Some are church or nonprofit ministries. Some are lending libraries. Others sell refurbished equipment at a lower cost. A local closet may be the fastest bridge after surgery, while a medical insurance route may be better for custom or long-term equipment.

Connecticut’s assistive technology program also offers device demonstrations, short-term device loans, financing help, and recycling through the CT Tech Act Project. This can be useful when the need goes beyond a basic loan-closet item.

For a national explanation of loan closets and reuse programs, see GFS’s DME loan closet guide.

Best First Calls in Connecticut

211 Connecticut: Dial 2-1-1 from inside Connecticut. United Way of Connecticut says the service is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. If you cannot connect through 2-1-1, use 1-800-203-1234. Ask specifically for medical equipment, loan closets, town human services, senior centers, and nearby nonprofit reuse programs.

Community Choices / Aging and Disability Resource Centers: Call 1-800-994-9422. Connecticut Aging and Disability Services says these centers help older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers find community services, benefits screening, options counseling, and care-transition support. See the state’s ADRC information.

MyPlaceCT: The state-supported Who to Call page also points residents to 211, local social services, senior centers, and Community Choices. This is useful when equipment is part of a larger problem with home care, transportation, or staying safely at home.

If you need the correct regional aging office, GFS has a guide to Connecticut aging agencies.

Connecticut Loan Closets and Reuse Programs

Call before you travel. Donation-based programs cannot promise that a specific item will be available. Ask whether the item is in stock, who the program serves, whether there is a fee or deposit, whether an appointment is required, and who is responsible for pickup and return.

A program’s website can confirm that the service exists, but it cannot guarantee today’s inventory. For a same-day need, call more than one program.

What Equipment Is Easier to Find?

Simple mobility and bathroom-safety items are usually easier to find than large or powered equipment. Walkers, canes, crutches, commodes, raised toilet seats, shower chairs, transfer benches, and transport chairs commonly appear in reuse programs.

Wheelchairs require more matching. Ask about seat width, overall width, footrests, brakes, cushions, weight limit, and whether the chair fits in the car and through the home’s doors. For a rollator, check brake operation and handle height.

Hospital beds, patient lifts, power wheelchairs, and scooters can be harder. You may need delivery, setup, a mattress or sling, a charger, battery checks, and safe-use training. A loan closet should not replace professional fitting when the person needs custom seating, pressure relief, complex positioning, or powered mobility.

When Medicare or HUSKY Is the Better Route

A community closet is often best for a short-term or urgent bridge. Insurance is usually more important when the equipment is medically necessary, needed long term, custom fitted, powered, or expensive.

Medicare

Medicare DME coverage says Part B covers medically necessary DME when a doctor or other treating provider orders it for use in the home and Medicare’s other rules are met. Covered examples include canes, commode chairs, crutches, hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and some breathing equipment.

Under Original Medicare, after the Part B deductible, the patient generally pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount when the supplier accepts assignment. Costs can differ based on the equipment and coverage. Use Medicare’s supplier finder to check enrolled suppliers near your ZIP code.

If Medicare costs are a concern, GFS’s Connecticut Medicare Savings guide explains programs that may help eligible residents with some Medicare costs.

HUSKY Health / Medicaid

Connecticut’s HUSKY benefit overview lists durable medical equipment as a covered benefit. The Department of Social Services says a doctor must first decide that the equipment is needed and write a prescription. The equipment supplier then handles the required paperwork.

The state’s DME instructions say members should use a supplier enrolled in Connecticut Medicaid. For help finding an enrolled supplier, the page directs members to Community Health Network at 1-800-859-9889.

If you need help with ConneCT or MyDSS while managing benefits, see the GFS Connecticut benefits portals guide.

How to Start Without Wasting Time

1. Name the exact item. Say “transport chair,” “four-wheel rollator,” “bedside commode,” or “tub transfer bench,” not just “chair” or “walker.”
2. Write down the deadline. Tell the program if the need is today, this week, after surgery, or for a planned discharge.
3. Measure what matters. For wheelchairs, beds, and lifts, measure doors and tight hallways. For seating, know the person’s approximate height and weight.
4. Call more than one place. Try one town program and one regional nonprofit. If both are out of stock, widen the radius through 211.
5. Start insurance early. If the item may be needed for months, do not wait for the loan closet search to fail before calling the doctor or insurer.

What to Gather Before You Call

If disability-related needs go beyond equipment, the GFS Connecticut disability help guide covers additional state and local support.

Reality Checks

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Calling only one closet and stopping when it has no stock
• Waiting until discharge day when the need is already known
• Driving to a closet without confirming the item and hours
• Forgetting seat width, weight limit, brakes, footrests, or charger
• Assuming a town program serves every Connecticut resident
• Assuming every free program delivers equipment
• Buying a costly item before checking Medicare or HUSKY rules
• Taking used equipment home without inspecting all parts

Backup Options

Low-cost refurbished equipment: Oak Hill can be a useful backup when a free closet has no stock. Its current page says equipment is restored and resold, and availability depends on donations.

Short-term assistive technology: The CT Tech Act Project offers short-term device loans, demonstrations, recycling, and financing resources. This route may help when you need to test a device before buying it.

Home changes: If the real problem is a step, narrow doorway, unsafe bathroom, or another housing barrier, equipment may only solve part of the problem. The GFS Connecticut home repair guide covers repair and accessibility help.

Phone Scripts