It’s no secret that the pandemic has pushed healthcare to go virtual, theoretically making it easier for patients to attend appointments and access the care they need. But Rebecca Weisinger, CEO and co-founder of Rest Healthhas seen many patients falter in the long process of qualifying for devices they need.
Equipt is a home medical device company; it aims to streamline the process for caregivers and patients to access medical equipment needed for care. Weisinger told businesskinda.com because of patients’ physical limitations and lack of resources to make the process easier, it needs to be “connecting, informative and transparent.”
While Weisinger has seen access problems professionally, she has personally seen her friends and family experience hardship in accessing medical equipment due to the various layers of complications. Equipt wants to make the process easier by being the packer, the logistics, the doctor (via the supplier’s network), providing technical support and returning data from connected devices.
Although the company launched earlier this year as part of Y Combinator’s Winter cohort, it is certified to supply DME (durable medical equipment) and HME (home medical equipment) devices in 24 states. According to Weisinger, the company plans to expand its reach in the near future.
Currently, the company has been able to focus its efforts on sleep apnea products by creating: Helio Sleepa sub-brand of Equipt.
The home sleep test offered by Equipt through Helio Sleep. Image Credits: Rest Health
Equipt provides patients with a home sleep test that is later interpreted by a sleep physician, and if eligible, the company will guide the patient through the next steps to get medical equipment ranging from CPAPs to alternative devices through Helio Sleep.
“We created Helio Sleep to give users a better way to understand and improve their health through sleep testing, the best treatment equipment, and access to board-certified physicians,” read the Helio Sleep launch. Announcement. “24 million Americans are currently undiagnosed for sleep apnea, leaving them not only tired but also at risk for serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.”
In addition to proving a more integrated path for patients, Equipt is working with medical device companies looking to enter the market. Once a company is ready to market medically approved equipment, it can market the product on its site to meet demand. This is taken into account in the financial model in which the company charges for DME and HME consultations.
At this time, Equipt does not accept insurance payments for care, but is moving to “providing insurance reimbursements or insurance payments”.
While the company’s initial focus is on the sleep apnea market, Weisinger explained that it hopes to expand its services to cater to individuals with more chronic conditions.
“We want to help and support many of the new medical device companies as they come to market,” Weisinger said. “But at the same time, we think there are great opportunities in the infusion pumps based on the treatment of diabetes patients, home dialysis equipment and other home medical devices, including breast pumps and others such as mobilization devices or hospital home.”
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