How to piss off your DME REALLY BAD

[EricinNC]

I learned this from a recent sleep doctor I talked to. If you need a new machine and have health insurance and your sleep doctor orders you a new machine. And your order gets sent thru by the sleep doctor to the DME and the DME comes back with a reply "your insurance wont pay for a new machine but every three years and you are SOL." Keep in mind that if your machine breaks or is not the right machine for you medically, your insurance and DME are SUPPOSED to give you the machine the doctor orders. Despite the canned "new machine every three years" spiel.

Say this to them, it will drive them apeshit insane:

"Please show me the insurance denial in writing."

LOL

I did that about a month ago and it made the DME girl so upset she started almost crying. And asked me if I wanted to speak to their manager. She became so upset to the point that she almost started cussing me on the phone and Ive never had that happen with a DME before. I ended up talking to the manager. Eventually I fired that DME.

My sleep doc said it goes on all the time and most of the time the DME never even actually tries to get it sent thru the insurance. They just have a "canned response" to you because they know your insurance policy about CPAP, in a general sense that is. But if there is a problem of some sort, they stick to their "canned answer" response and try to bs you.

My sleep doc told me this scenario occurs all the time and the DMEs are practicing medicine without a license by meddling with the patient/doctor relationship.

If you need a new machine and your insurance has that generic rule of "one new CPAP every three years" thing, try it on your DME and watch how upset they become it is funny almost. Kind of sad in a way as well because it makes you realize for real how much of this is about absolutely nothing but $$$$$$.

Eric

[scrapper]

This is universal insurance stuff...........dme's aren't going to give you a canned response if they can make more money.

Denial's come from insurance companies all of the time. Anyone with insurance or who works with insurance regularly sees them. If the gal at the dme was so upset that she almost cried, it must have been a response to how you were addressing the situation.

Once again, you are the exception to the real world.

Also, you are lucky if your insurance will buy a machine every 3 years--it's usually 5 years minimum.

Is there anything good in your world? positive? uplifting? You might consider focusing on it!

[Starlette]

Glad you stood up for yourself! *cheers*

[EricinNC]

This is universal insurance stuff...........dme's aren't going to give you a canned response if they can make more money.

Denial's come from insurance companies all of the time. Anyone with insurance or who works with insurance regularly sees them. If the gal at the dme was so upset that she almost cried, it must have been a response to how you were addressing the situation.

Once again, you are the exception to the real world.

Also, you are lucky if your insurance will buy a machine every 3 years--it's usually 5 years minimum.

Is there anything good in your world? positive? uplifting? You might consider focusing on it!

Well, part of my point is I did not know this. And was actually coached by my sleep doctor to say it to the DME. It was news to me and gave me insight into what is really going on.

I also called my insurance after I got off the phone with that DME and my insurance told me they had not even received a claim from the DME, had not been contacted in anyway in any shape or form by the DME. LOL

Its about nothing but greed and $$$$ and you have to take matters into your own hands.

Eric

[scrapper]

It's always best to be your own health care advocate, or have someone who can do that for you when you cannot...........ADVOCATE does not mean you have to piss people off "really bad".

[EricinNC]

It's always best to be your own health care advocate, or have someone who can do that for you when you cannot...........ADVOCATE does not mean you have to piss people off "really bad".

I get at least half my stuff by buying direct off the net and paying out of pocket. What drove me to do that was hassles from DMEs and insurance. So yeah, I believe in vengeance. If I can give them a hard day, I will do it.

Eric

[scrapper]

EricinNC: I believe in vengeance. If I can give them a hard day, I will do it.

That attitude affects your life and outlook negatively also............get a life. This does not make you a tough guy.......just a jerk.

[SleepingUgly]

"Eric", you don't trust doctors. A doctor told you not to trust the DMEs, and now you don't trust DMEs. You fired a doctor. You fired the DME. Resmed can't be trusted, and if you could, you would fire them too or put them out of business. You made the DME cry, and you made your "advocate" cry.

I am detecting a pattern here. Are you?

[LinkC]

After two months with a basic CPAP, I talked my doc into APAP w/ full data. She faxed the new 'script to them while I went home to fetch my old machine. Traded with no hassles from DME or insurance. My "rent-to-own" period started over, but I was only two payments into it, so big deal.


And I didn't even make anyone cry...

[NightMonkey]

I did that about a month ago and it made the DME girl so upset she started almost crying.

Eric

EricinNC: I believe in vengeance. If I can give them a hard day, I will do it.

That attitude affects your life and outlook negatively also............get a life. This does not make you a tough guy.......just a jerk.

Yes, beating up on a female employee who makes near minimum wage does not make you a hero.

Eric, You are dependent on large doses of clonazepam, your CPAP therapy is probably working terribly, you are mad at everyone you come in contact with, you hate the beautiful state of NC, and you come to a place where you can get help and support and then you start picking fights with the people who are trying to help you.

How about flushing your attitude and making a clean start here tomorrow? As a group the forum members are very forgiving.

[DreamDiver]

How about flushing your attitude and making a clean start here tomorrow? As a group the forum members are very forgiving.

+1

[vic]

What a guy ! Why would this even enter your mind to attack that poor office girl. What could the DME have done to you to warrant abusing their staff.
Why would you want a new CPAP to begin with. Is it really broken ? Selling it on Ebay ?
Calling your insurance company and checking on a claim....that makes not sense. Why would there be a claim if no machine was provided. I can only hope your DME drops by this site and recognizes you. Hmm, I wonder,
if he did ID you then he knows who the Doctor is. huh, nah.....I guess he would never forward a copy of this email to the Hosp administrator. Or would he......

[Breathe Jimbo]

Eric, I don't think you did anything wrong. The folks who are jumping all over you are way out of line.

[EricinNC]

What a guy ! Why would this even enter your mind to attack that poor office girl. What could the DME have done to you to warrant abusing their staff.
Why would you want a new CPAP to begin with. Is it really broken ? Selling it on Ebay ?
Calling your insurance company and checking on a claim....that makes not sense. Why would there be a claim if no machine was provided. I can only hope your DME drops by this site and recognizes you. Hmm, I wonder,
if he did ID you then he knows who the Doctor is. huh, nah.....I guess he would never forward a copy of this email to the Hosp administrator. Or would he......

I wish my DME would do that.

My machine was broken. Are you accusing me of trying to defraud someone? Be careful, very very careful what you accuse me of. My old machine was broken and I needed a new one. My sleep doc told me the DME I was using are a bunch of jerks and he told me to ask them that when they gave me the usual spiel. He told me he had problems with them before. He does not care for them either.

If anything, I feel like I HAVE BEEN DEFRAUDED. I feel like Ive been jerked around, given lipservice, not given a new sleep study in due diligent time, etc. Im pissed off and mad as hell. Months have gone by and it will only be April before I can finally get a new sleep study.

Be very very careful what you accuse someone of on here.


Eric

[EricinNC]

Eric, I don't think you did anything wrong. The folks who are jumping all over you are way out of line.

I have done absolutely nothing wrong. If anything, I have been withheld proper medical treatment. The folks jumping all over me are way out of line. It is true I dont care for health insurance and DMEs and I like to jerk them around like they have jerked me around in the past at times. But as far as doing anything illegal, that is absolutely out of line.

Eric