5 Proven Ways to Reduce Cart Abandonment for Your HME Business (and Boost Conversions)

You’ve done everything right—great product pages, solid traffic, even solid branding. But when it comes to actual purchases, you’re still seeing abandoned carts pile up.

Sound familiar?

For HME providers, checkout can be the biggest roadblock in your eCommerce strategy. It’s where patients get confused, frustrated, or nervous about sharing sensitive info—especially when insurance or ABN forms are involved.

Today, we’re breaking down the biggest friction points in HME checkout—and how you can fix them to serve patients better, stay compliant, and convert more carts into completed orders.

Why Checkout Matters (Especially for HME)

A recent study from Baymard Institute found that 70% of online carts are abandoned. For HME businesses, abandoned carts don’t just mean missed sales—they could mean patients aren’t getting the equipment they need.

Unlike traditional eCommerce, HME providers face additional checkout challenges:

• Insurance verification
• HIPAA compliance
• ABN form requirements
• Prescription uploads
• Sensitive health-related product categories

The good news? Fixing your checkout process can make a massive difference.

What Causes Cart Abandonment in HME eCommerce?

Before we talk solutions, let’s look at the most common friction points:

Top Reasons for Abandonment

• Checkout takes too long or has too many steps
• Insurance info isn’t clearly explained
• No guest checkout option
• Unclear security (no SSL or HIPAA trust signals)
• Website isn’t mobile-friendly

Best Practices to Improve Checkout (and Keep Patients Engaged)

1. Simplify the Steps

The more clicks and fields, the more chances people have to bail.

• Use progress indicators (“Step 1 of 3”)
• Minimize the number of required fields
• Use autofill for address and contact info
• Allow easy cart edits without restarting the process

2. Offer Guest Checkout

Forcing someone to create an account just to order tubing or a CPAP mask?

That’s a fast track to abandonment.

• Let users check out as a guest
• Offer account creation after the order is placed
• Make it clear their data is still secure without an account

3. Be Transparent About Insurance & ABNs

Patients want to know:

• What will insurance cover?
• Will I owe anything?
• What’s an ABN form and why do I need it?

Make it easy by:

• Displaying coverage info in the product description
• Including ABN form capture in checkout
• Using simple language—no insurance jargon!

4. Show Security & Compliance Signals

Trust is huge in healthcare purchases. Let visitors know their information is protected.

Include:

• HIPAA-compliant hosting badge
• SSL certificate and “secure checkout” icons
• Testimonials or product reviews near the cart

5. Optimize for Mobile

Patients—and especially caregivers—often shop on their phones.

Make sure your checkout:

• Loads fast on mobile
• Has large tap targets for buttons
• Allows uploads (e.g., prescription images) directly from camera roll
• Keeps form fields short and scrollable

Don’t Let Checkout Be the Reason Patients Don’t Order

HMECommerce is built with compliance, clarity, and conversion in mind.

Ready to streamline your online store?
Let’s Talk About It

Real-World Example: Selling CPAP Supplies Online

Let’s say you sell CPAP masks and replacement parts.

Your visitor:

• Is new to sleep apnea treatment
• Has an insurance-covered device
• Needs to order a specific mask model

If your checkout asks for:

• Insurance info
• A prescription upload
• An ABN acknowledgment

…all in separate steps, with unclear instructions or account requirements, they’re probably going to quit.

Now imagine this experience with HMECommerce:

• ABN capture and prescription upload built into one clean step
• Simple text explaining insurance coverage
• No forced login
• Order confirmation with tracking from VGM Fulfillment

Fewer clicks, fewer calls, more completed orders.

Extra Tips: How to Win Back Abandoned Carts

Not every cart will convert—but you can still recover them:

• Send reminder emails with a saved cart link
• Offer incentives like free shipping or 10% off for returning users
• Use retargeting ads to show ads to people who left your site
• Add live chat so customers can ask questions mid-checkout

How HMECommerce Solves Checkout Challenges

HMECommerce by Forbin is a fully pre-built, HIPAA-compliant eCommerce solution built just for HME providers.

With HMECommerce, You Get:

• Pre-populated catalog with VGM Fulfillment
• HIPAA-compliant checkout and hosting
• ABN capture and insurance-friendly purchasing
• Secure prescription upload
• Direct-to-patient shipping
• User-friendly design for all devices

That’s It. Better Checkout = Better Patient Experience.

Your website isn’t just a storefront—it’s part of your patient care process.

A clear, compliant checkout keeps patients on track, improves satisfaction, and increases revenue.

You’ve done the hard work of getting patients to your site. Don’t lose them at the final step.

Ready to see what a better checkout looks like?