How tariffs will impact medical equipment suppliers

Rising supplier costs don't automatically mean higher allowable costs for health insurers

If your company buys and sells medical goods, you just got screwed. Your supplies cost more due to tariffs, but health insurers are not raising their allowables.

Hospitals, DMEPOS suppliers, CPAP/BiPAP suppliers, oxygen suppliers, ostomy suppliers, and custom wheelchair builders (for permanent wheelchairs) all receive allowable payments but are still paying tariffs. That directly impacts whether they lose money by billing an item you may want to be billed.

Next time you go to buy something and want to bill Medicare, don't be surprised when you're told that the company no longer bills insurance for that item. It's only out of pocket there because now they'll lose money. But hey, you can self-submit.

Homeowner's insurance costs are expected to rise due to tariffs on lumber and construction supplies, as well as car insurance premiums resulting from tariffs on car parts.

Tariffs aren't a tax on one part of our lives. They are a tax on all parts of our lives. It's not just the grocery bill going up; it’s also the mortgage (for homeowners), vehicle insurance, and groceries, along with costs being added to cities, which will push those costs to those who pay for municipal services.