Dr.'s prescription for HVAC

[cissado]

Have any pros here done installs of units for a prescription a HO had for air quality issues in a residential setting? My Dr.gave us a prescription for "filtering" or "improving" air quality in the house.

There is no evidence that our air quality is bad. He gave it to me after a long discussion with him (that I bought up to him) about filtering, uv lights, humidity issues and our two kid's recent Dr. visits.

Again, the is just a precaution, but my son was born with a slight breathing issue, not asthma but a physical issue with his throat that may or may not be helped with this.

How did you go about servicing the prescription or request, if you had one?

[ascj]

We would first test your indoor air quality for a week, to see what if anything is wrong. Then figure out what you need to do to get it in line. Bad indoor air quality could be alot of different things.

Find a contactor that can test you air quality. Then he can quote the solution. Then you can see if the insurance company will pick up sum of the cost(if any).

[perel]

You should be aware that most insurance policies specifically exclude comfort cooling from coverage. Generally these items would be covered under the coverage for "durable medical equipment". The standard definition thereof specifices that the item must "generally not be useful to a person who isn't sick or injured" or words to that effect.

Now, a prescription might be useful if you were renting and asking to be allowed to make changes to the HVAC system in your apartment under ADA. Otherwise, I don't think it really matters if there's a "prescription" or not.

So just look at it as a suggestion that you evaluate your home's air quality. That would mean finding a good IAQ contractor in your area who can come in and do proper testing to see what problems, if any, you actually have.

It may well be that getting a good true-HEPA room filter for your son's room would be the best way to go.. room filtration is generally superior for medical issues in a home. Would be fairly cheap to try that and see if it helps, but proper air testing is still the best thing to do.

[cissado]

Thank you for the replies.

I was planning like you mentioned, doing it anyway regardless of the prescription.

"Durable medical equipment" I guess if something is covered, that would be a plus for me. Maybe something like UV lamps. I'm also installing HEPA filters in the HVAC system.

Whether it is covered by insurance or not, maybe they can be tax deductible since the presription was given.

Thanks for the explanation.

[danglerb]

What might help this discussion along would be what the Rx actually amounts to.

Last time I looked, and I am no cpa, medical expenses were not deductible until they exceed something like 5% of adjusted annual income.

[cissado]

Yes danglerb, I understand. Thanks for the reminder. Without getting too OT, I will say that our child's medical condition has allowed us to exceed the 5% so far. As I'm trying to clean up our home environment, to help in any way it can... we also got a prescription from the Dr. It can't hurt except our "pocketbooks", so to speak. But if it helps, then it helps.

The tax savings and insurance stuff is all extra. The main goal is hopefully a better air quality. I was just wondering how the pros went about it when faced with this task.

I realize it may be an air quailty test with the findings and instructions/suggestions given to an HVAC contraactor to "fix".

[teddy bear]

Originally posted by cissado
Have any pros here done installs of units for a prescription a HO had for air quality issues in a residential setting? My Dr.gave us a prescription for "filtering" or "improving" air quality in the house.

There is no evidence that our air quality is bad. He gave it to me after a long discussion with him (that I bought up to him) about filtering, uv lights, humidity issues and our two kid's recent Dr. visits.

Again, the is just a precaution, but my son was born with a slight breathing issue, not asthma but a physical issue with his throat that may or may not be helped with this.

How did you go about servicing the prescription or request, if you had one?

Fresh air ventilation, dehumidification for maintaining <50%RH, and air filtering useally qualify for tax purposes for "pretax set asides" with a Dr.'s note. I don't about Xmas lights. Purge the polutants, replace the oxygen, and eliminate mold/mildew/dust mites are the keys to indoor air quality. TB

[cn]

Originally posted by cissado
Have any pros here done installs of units for a prescription a HO had for air quality issues in a residential setting? My Dr.gave us a prescription for "filtering" or "improving" air quality in the house.

There is no evidence that our air quality is bad. He gave it to me after a long discussion with him (that I bought up to him) about filtering, uv lights, humidity issues and our two kid's recent Dr. visits.

Again, the is just a precaution, but my son was born with a slight breathing issue, not asthma but a physical issue with his throat that may or may not be helped with this.

How did you go about servicing the prescription or request, if you had one?

1. smoking
2. dust
3. believe it or not.... carpet (fibers floating around)
4. pets

If you elimiate all of the above, your kids will be much better.
This is what we did (BTW, we are not smokers).
Replacing carpet with hardwood floor.

Kids are happy, no more allergy and asthma.

This is good reading on indoor air pollutants:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...t/1275921.html


[Edited by cn on 07-10-2006 at 02:24 PM]

[danglerb]

I am still not understanding what a Rx for air would be. I hope its not in latin, my HVAC guy is having enough trouble with english.