You would like to purchase a second-hand AAT product and you have found one on online platforms such as Ebay? Then you should keep some important aspects in mind before buying to ensure that the product is suitable for you and you can use it safely.
Purchasing second-hand AAT products not only offers a low-cost alternative for people who rely on mobility aids, but is also a sustainable choice for the environment. By purchasing a second-hand product, you are helping to protect our resources and reduce our carbon footprint.
Nevertheless, there are some important aspects that should be considered to ensure that the purchased product meets your needs and can be used safely.
Please pay attention to the following aspects before purchasing:
Ownership
First of all, you should ensure that the ownership of the product is clarified. Many AAT products are covered by health insurance companies and are only provided to the insured person on loan. These aids may not be sold and must be returned to the health insurers after usage. Therefore, before purchasing a product from private persons, please clarify the ownership of the product.
Instruction
In order to be able to use the product safely, a previous instruction is absolutely necessary. The instruction may only be carried out by a medical supply store trained by AAT or by the AAT sales representatives. Please note that AAT does not offer training courses for end customers. But you can order a instruction through a medical supply store.
Spare parts supply
Spare parts may no longer be available for certain older products. Be aware of this when purchasing and find out in advance if all necessary spare parts are available for the product you are interested in.
Contact to a medical supply store
In case of repair, you should contact an authorized medical supply store. You can find all our partner companies by using our dealer-locator.
Contact to AAT
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
AAT Service Center Phone: +49(0) 7431 12 95-550 E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Safety and Quality with every AAT product
You can safely purchase second-hand devices which have been reconditioned and regularly maintained via our medical supply store partners or commercial agencies. These products can for example be purchased by your medical supply store through our online shop system.
These devices are well maintained, completely functional and have been carefully checked by AAT. A continuous supply of spare parts is also guaranteed. Often these devices are still within the warranty period - on older devices you receive a warranty of one year.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to receive our high-quality AAT products. For this reason, we have created a detailed guide that accompanies you through every step of the process.
Discover not only interesting information on product demonstration, prescription and reimbursement, but also many other topics related to your medical device. You will find all relevant information you need for a smooth request and delivery within this guide.
Our detailed guide is also available as a PDF-Download, so you can focus on what really matters: Improving your quality of life and achieving your goals.
To make the process even easier for you to understand, we have created various case studies that illustrate typical approval processes, including possible rejections and objections.
An individual and personal consultation is our first priority. Therefore, AAT offers you a dense network of qualified sales representatives throughout Germany, who will be happy to advise you on all questions regarding the selection of the aid.
Of course you can also contact one of our certified medical supply store partners. We cooperate with more than 1500 partners throughout Germany - surely there is also one in your area!
You are not located in Germany? Then please contact our worldwide partner companies via the following Button. Your supply with our AAT products will be handled differently than within Germany.
Demonstration
On site with you
To ensure that you receive the most suitable tool for your needs, we offer demonstrations of our products. Our competent sales representatives or the trained staff of our specialist retail partners offer you the opportunity to test the desired AAT product directly on site. This allows you to see the functions and handling for yourself.
Our sales representatives will be happy to fill out a prescription recommendation and a demonstration voucher with a letter of justification, which you can take with you to your GP or specialist doctor to apply for a prescription.
Once you have decided on the right AAT product, please contact your family doctor or specialist. He or she is your contact for issuing the appropriate prescription and will prescribe the desired product. To ensure that you receive the high-quality AAT product that you have successfully tried at home, the prescription should already contain the correct product name.
To make it easier to obtain a prescription, we recommend that you hand in a copy of the demonstration receipt together with the letter of justification and the prescription recommendation that you received from our staff during the demonstration to your doctor.
Your doctor may contact you again afterwards to fill out a consultation form for your health insurance company to confirm the necessity of the medical aid. Do not let this unsettle you. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need support.
We are also happy to support your doctor via the following link.
Please take the prescription issued by your doctor to your local medical supply store. The specialized retailer will prepare a quotation on the basis of the prescription and submit it to your health insurance company or to the cost carrier responsible for you. As soon as the cost carrier grants approval, your specialized retailer will order the required medical device, which will then be delivered by us as quickly as possible.
In the following, we explain how you can proceed in the event of a rejection.
Optional: Independent assistance
AIDS ADVISORS, MDK AND CO.
Health insurers are not always able to decide whether a requested medical device is medically necessary or not on their own. In such cases, the insurance company will appoint a medical aid consultant. This consultant is supposed to check the need for aids on site and advises the patient. In case of doubt, the insurance company may also involve the Medical Service of the Health Insurance (MDK). The MDK provides independent, expert support to the insurance companies through medically and nursing trained personnel.
Authorisation by the health insurance company
Ordering and delivery of the product
As soon as the funding organisation has given its approval, your specialist dealer will order the desired aid, which will then be delivered by them or us as quickly as possible.
In the box below, we explain how you can proceed in the event of a rejection.
Optional: Rejection by the health insurance company
What you can do in this case
It may happen that your health insurance company initially refuses to cover the costs of the medical aid you have applied for. There may be various reasons for this, such as insufficient medical necessity or lack of documentation. Don't let this discourage you!
You have the right to appeal against the decision. In this case, we recommend that you compile all the necessary documents and justifications and submit the appeal as soon as possible. If you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
At the bottom of this page you will find further information on the legal entitlement, aids in care homes or the application for care aids. You are also welcome to read our latest article:
The delivery of the selected device is either carried out by our sales representatives or by one of our trained medical supply store partners. A detailed training on handling the product for you or the operator is of course included in the delivery. This ensures that you are able to use the device in the most effective way and obtain the optimum benefit.
Cost contribution
LEGAL REGULATIONS
All AAT products are approved by the health insurance companies and are therefore completely reimbursable. However, the legislator stipulates co-payments by the insurants for certain services. There are three different types of financial participation: Co-payment, personal contribution or economic surcharge. You can find more details below.
We are also there for you after providing you with your AAT product! The fast, reliable and competent support of our service center in combination with the personal on-site service of our sales representatives always ensure your unrestricted mobility. Just contact your medical supply store or AAT directly.
OUR GUIDE AS PDF
FREE DOWNLOAD
Our detailed guide is also available as a PDF-Download, so you can focus on what really matters: Improving your quality of life and achieving your goals.
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REIMBURSEMENT OF AIDS
The legal entitlement for medical aids
The legal basis for the supply of medical aids is very extensive. The main relevant provision is located in the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V). Section § 33 regulates the entitlement to the provision of medical aids, if they aim to
ensure the success of medical treatment or
prevent an impending disability or
compensate a disability
The decisive factor here is that the medical device in each individual case helps the disabled person by eliminating or alleviating the effects of the disability - even if this is done by facilitating care by a third party.
Further information can be found, for example, at:
In the event of illness, nursing home residents may be entitled to the provision of medical aids. If the medical aid serves to satisfy individual basic needs, the nursing home is not obliged to provide it, but the health insurance is. Examples are:
customized medical aids that are specifically intended for an individual person and may only be used for or by that person.
medical aids that serve to satisfy a basic need outside the nursing home.
These include, for example, outdoor activities or going on excursions with relatives and friends. The entitlement to an electric add-on drive or a pushing and braking aid can therefore also exist during a stay in a nursing home.
Further information can be found, for example, at:
Basically, mobile stair climbers can also be classified within the framework of long-term nursing insurance. As part of the provision of § 40 SGB XI (the law of the legal long-term nursing care insurance), the entitlements to the provision of nursing aids and measures to improve the living environment are regulated.
A prerequisite is that the persons concerned are in need of care. This is usually proven by the corresponding care level.
Since the provision of a nursing aid is always subordinate to the provision of medical aids by the health insurance fund, the health insurance fund must check whether there is a claim under health insurance law in accordance with § 33 of the German Social Code, Book V first - and only then a claim for a nursing aid can be considered.
We will be happy to help you here as well. Please contact the AAT sales representative responsible for your area.
A guide for the application
Blog post about the medical aids guide
Our aid guide is your valuable companion when it comes to applying for the right AAT product for you. With clearly structured information, we support you every step of the way, from the initial consultation to the final approval and delivery of your assistive technology device.
The guide not only provides you with an overview of the necessary steps, but also helpful tips to ensure you are fully prepared. In our blog post on the aid guide, we combine a step-by-step guide with legal information.
All AAT products are recognized and fully reimbursable aids by the health insurance companies. However, the legislator provides for co-payments by the insured for certain services. There are now three different types of financial participation:
a) Co-payment In principle, every member of a statutory insurance scheme must make co-payments for medical aids after the age of 18. This co-payment amounts to 10% of the amount covered by the health insurance fund for each aid, but no less than €5 and no more than €10, but no more than the cost of the aid.
b) Own contribution The personal contribution is charged for medical aids that are not only used to compensate for disability or for medical treatment, but also represent a "commodity of daily use", i.e. which would also have to be procured if there were no physical disability.
c) Economic additional payment If insured persons choose an aid or additional services that go beyond what is "necessary", i.e. beyond the health insurance funds' obligation to provide benefits, it is still possible to obtain this higher-value aid by means of an "economic surcharge". This must be approved individually by the cost bearer.
Customer satisfaction is our number one priority and one important part is how we deal with deliveries and returns.
We know that deliveries, e.g. for documentation of wheelchair models or returns of defective components, are sometimes unavoidable and we understand how frustrating it can be, when these shipments are not dealt with quickly.
Therefore, AAT has developed specific processes and guidelines to ensure that your shipments can be handled as quickly and easily as possible.
Below you will find some information which should be observed to ensure that your shipment is handled fast and efficiently.
Contact us
Please complete the following return form and send it to AAT. Also include the reason of return as well as the order number and/or serial number.
For mounting of new devices: E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +49 7431.12 95-35 Telephone: +49 7431.12 95-0
For service cases: E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +49 7431.12 95-540 Phone: +49 7431.12 95-550
The protection of our employees is important to us.
Therefore, please ensure that your delivered product and/or wheelchair is free of contamination. Please fill out the following form "Declaration of hygiene status" and attach it to the shipment as well.
If you do not have the original packaging, please ensure adequate protection against transport damage by using suitable packaging. Please attach the return form and the declaration of hygiene status visibly to the package (e.g. in a delivery note bag).
Shipping
Please send your shipment to:
AAT Alber Antriebstechnik GmbH Sigmaringer Straße 84 72458 Albstadt GERMANY
Confirmation
After receiving your delivery/return, we will take care of it as soon as possible. You will receive a confirmation or the corresponding cost estimate from us.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
For mounting of new devices: E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +49 7431.12 95-35 Telephone: +49 7431.12 95-0
For service cases: E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +49 7431.12 95-540 Phone: +49 7431.12 95-550
Note
In order to ensure a quick processing, we kindly ask you to observe the above-mentioned points. It may led to delays in processing, if e. g. the hygienic status has to be requested by AAT after receiving your shipment.
Via the following download you can find all documents mentioned above as well as a visual illustration of the process.
Product knowledge and appropriate training qualifications are essential within the rehabilitation industry. We therefor offer various training modules and adapt them to the needs of your employees in order to achieve the best possible results. Do not hesitate to contact us!
product trainig
Starter
Our sales representative will provide a training course at your site (within Germany).
Dealer Training
Albstadt
2-Day workshop with overnight stay at AAT in Albstadt, Germany.
product training
Individual
We will provide you with an individual training on-site, customized to your needs.
Starter
product training
Consulting
Demonstration
Delivery
Instruction
Mounting
You will receive a certificate with a validity of 2 years.
Albstadt
dealer training
Consulting
Demonstration
Delivery
Instruction
Mounting
Re-Use
Repair
Safety inspection
Programming
You will receive a certificate with a validity of 2 years.
Individual
Product training
Customized content
Tailored to your needs
At your premises (within Europe)
You will receive a certificate with a validity of 2 years.
Mark Retter
Your training manager
I have been working for the company AAT since 2005. At the beginning of my employment, I proved myself working in the Service Center department. I was responsible for technical support, spare parts, repair processing, re-use and our lending devices. We were always there to support our customers and end users. As of 2008, I also used my expertise as a training manager.
After many successful years working in the service center department, I was looking for a new challenge and in 2017 I became area sales manager for Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
But it was decided quickly that my large knowledge about or AAT products was not only important for one sales area, but for all our customers. This led me to accept my current position as AAT product specialist.
Since April 2020, I am in charge of our german sales representatives. And in addition I take responsiblity for various trainings of our customers worldwide.
