Insights On Renting Medical Equipment

By Lila Bryant


Medical facilities are faced with one of the most expensive and somehow sophisticated equipment investments. In order to have a significant impact on their clients, individuals and institutions that are engaged in practicing medical services are faced with the need of procuring the latest and state of the art equipment. However, with all this investment, the very tools are quickly rendered obsolete by the passage of time and the ever changing technology. It is therefore important and necessary to thoroughly analyze each and every investment decision in order to realize the most economical use of the scarce financial resources. This particularly entails a close comparison between making a purchase and renting medical equipment.

When it comes to renting, there are varieties of implements that can be accessed fairly and under favorable terms. Such include, but not limited to surgery implements, EMR software, X-ray and ultrasound machines, MRI machines, computers, imaging and diagnostic machines and surgery tables. Before renting, remember to consider some important insights, as outlined below.

To begin with, it is important to first of all carry out a lease vs. Buy analysis. The analysis enables you to be sure that you are engaging in the best financial decision. The process entails comparing the item prices across different major manufacturers, against lease quotes obtained from numerous medical tools leasing companies.

But to enhance an inclusive financial analysis, be sure to collect all your pertinent financial data at your disposal. It is this information that will enable you to analyze and evaluate the feasibility of a particular investment. Determine the incremental cash flows (additional revenues and expenses) resulting from the investment. Incremental analysis will illustrate how a particular investment is going to improve the overall business performance, as opposed to simply analyzing whether or not a single portfolio will generate profit on its own or not.

Although many businesses usually stop here, this should not be the case. You should further evaluate the data with other such analyses as break even, payback value and net present value. The long term and short term implications of a given investment can only be evidenced through this evaluation, including the payback period.

While comparing a buy versus rent decision, you should put in mind that the rate of the lease, is determined by some other factors, some within while others beyond your control. An example of a controllable factor is the rental period. Consider the duration of rent and the financial implication associated.

Another element worth considering is the schedule of service (repair). During the period of rent, the user is responsible for maintenance of the item. It is therefore essential to opt for a deal having a fair number of services, coupled with convenient service time. For example, on-site servicing proves rather convenient. The type of lease, whether operating or capital, also determines the amount of monthly payments. Operating leases are less expensive than capital leases, they are entirely rental agreements. On the other hand, Capital leases entail residual ownership of the item.

Simply put, the decision process whether to rent or buy a medical equipment relies more on ascertaining which option will be more beneficial to your practice; the bottom line; evaluate how the investment fits with your general business plan, compare it to alternative opportunities in your practice and determine whether it will be profitable on its own while improving the present and future overall financial performance of your practice.




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