The line that defines the vertical
Agents screen; they never determine. An agent may ask whether a patient experiences a symptom and record the answer. An agent may never say the patient qualifies, is likely to qualify, needs the equipment, or would benefit from it. Medical necessity is a physician determination made after clinical review. Crossing this line is a compliance breach with consequences beyond the campaign.
Why documentation matters more here
Because equipment is billed to insurance, both regulators and buyers scrutinise how patient interest was obtained. Campaigns require documented, consented traffic sources with an aged-data limit, and require you to produce consent evidence on request rather than assert it. Centers without genuine documentation should not run this vertical.
Screening structure
Typical screening covers insurance coverage, presence of a qualifying condition or symptom, and whether the patient has a treating physician. Each is a factual question with a recorded answer. The transfer is then routed for clinical review, where the actual determination happens.
What buyers monitor
QA sampling rates are higher in DME than in commercial verticals, often well above the ten percent typical elsewhere. Expect recordings to be requested, expect script adherence to be measured, and expect a single medical-claim failure to carry more weight than several ordinary quality issues.