VitalAire

Shodow · Post by **Shodow** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 6:39 pm

What a terrible experience, was told by the Sales Agent that VitalAire has you by the balls and that Clients have no choice. What an experience !

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:14 pm

What? What are you talking about?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:17 pm

Just had a little time to kill, not to explain. Jim

Lucyhere · Post by **Lucyhere** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:27 pm

According to Dr. Google, VitalAire is a DME.

Hose_Head · Post by **Hose_Head** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:28 pm

Shodow wrote:What a terrible experience, was told by the Sales Agent that VitalAire has you by the balls and that Clients have no choice. What an experience !

A little context would be helpful ... Besides, some of us enjoy a good rant!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:41 pm

Unlike poltics, we would like to have facts, with it too. Jim

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:25 pm

Sounds like a typical DME . . .
Edit----Looked it up; they are in Canada.
So, DISH! We love dirt!

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:34 pm

Vitalaire set me up originally and they were very good about it, they're across the country and I know others who use them with no problems... plus the OP seems to be gone, so...?

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:38 pm

Maybe a rider of Cleo's barge.
Or a career oarsman.

Hose_Head · Post by **Hose_Head** » Sat Oct 22, 2016 1:03 pm

Julie wrote:Vitalaire set me up originally and they were very good about it, they're across the country and I know others who use them with no problems... plus the OP seems to be gone, so...?

As I suspect is the case in most DME's, quality of service likely depends more on the individuals in the DME rather than the company, itself.

When I first started out on xpap, my first DME was VitalAire. My sleep doctor was far too close to them and that fact, combined with their clear path to providing me with a brick, caused me to run to find another DME.

In the short contact that I had with VitalAire, I was unimpressed.

virob · Post by **virob** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 9:18 pm

I'm currently working with Vitalaire and getting ready to purchase my first machine. I have been trying a Resmed auto 10 and would like to stay with that model. VitalAire wants $2300CAN, online it is available for $1000CAN. I can understand a certain markup, but this seems excessive. My insurance will cover 80% up to $2000, which make my out of pocket costs $200 vs $700.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 9:32 pm

Ask your insce. co if they'll accept the bill.. mine did (quite a few yrs ago) and I ordered from the U.S... However the exchange rate was better then and ResMed was still sending stuff to us here which they no longer will do (tho' I suppose Respironics might). Dealers can get them here of course, but you pay for it! You might want to contact Secondwindcpap.com - they're in the US, but have very good deals, sometimes on new or almost new machines and I got one (not Resmed) from them, no problem and no duty because they're marked 'medical device' or something like it.

Hose_Head · Post by **Hose_Head** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:05 pm

virob wrote:I'm currently working with Vitalaire and getting ready to purchase my first machine. I have been trying a Resmed auto 10 and would like to stay with that model. VitalAire wants $2300CAN, online it is available for $1000CAN. I can understand a certain markup, but this seems excessive. My insurance will cover 80% up to $2000, which make my out of pocket costs $200 vs $700.

Before paying that rip off price I would shop around to see if a better deal could be found. There a several online stores in Canada that can ship you a Resmed. Here's a list that I've put together from posts on this board. Of these, I've used and had good luck with Clinicalsleep.com (Vancouver based) for supplies; never bought a blower from them.

Clinicalsleep.com

cpapoutlet.ca ....... 100% canadian owned and operated; based in toronto

papsmart.com ...... Purports to be a Canadian company but NO INFORMATION about this is on their web site. Their address is Dundas st in Toronto

cpapmachinescanada http://www.cpapmachinescanada.net/about.php >>> have several storefronts in Toronto and area

https://www.cpapclinic.ca/ Toronto area

What I would do is phone and ask to speak to a manager. Offer them the cpap.com price plus current exchange rate and maybe add another $100 to that. Tell them the offer is a take it or leave it price and don't tell them you have insurance. If they know that they will try to get more money out of you.

Another point to keep in mind is that in Ontario, the provincial health plan specifies how much DME's can charge for an autopap. At the moment that amount is $1020 Cdn ($860 Cdn for straight cpap). Presumably that price is set with consideration to allowing enough markup to keep the company in business, so that price might be a good target in negotiation with them. You're unlikely to do better than that price.

Don't forget that you will need a written prescription from your sleep doctor. If you are buying an autopap, then the Rx must specify that and the range of pressures to be set on the machine. You can fax or scan and email a copy of it to the DME.

And please do come back and tell us how you made out.

What province are you in?

marmaduke451 · Post by **marmaduke451** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:38 am

FWIW, I'm not having a particularly good experience with Vitalaire. It might depend on branch/individual, but I got very little information and assistance from them beyond getting the machine. And most recently, when I asked them to help with adjusting a setting, they refused, claiming I needed to go back to my doctor for a new prescription. Buyer beware.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:40 am

You've had bad luck with one branch office... doesn't mean the rest are the same.

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