“The trends I see are that transportability always seems to be the most important feature in people's minds. The scooter isn't really going to be used for just inside the home, or just down the street. They want to pick it up and take it to the shopping mall or to their son's place over Thanksgiving.
“That scooter becomes a part of their lifestyle. I think
all the manufacturers are improving on the ability to transport
these products.”
— Nirav Pandya, director of product management, rehab
products, Invacare
“Scooters are going to cash sales. [HME providers] need something to make them stand out from the Coscos and the Pep Boys and [other stores] like that, so they're looking for products that do unique things.
“[We also see] a lot going in bariatrics, because you can
actually make a couple of bucks on bariatrics. On the basic Class 1
scooter, there isn't enough reimbursement — no matter how
cheaply you buy your product — to do your paperwork and to
handle everything. If you have any sort of service issues, there's
nothing there.”
— Jim Ernst, Leisure-Lift
