Lincare selling policy?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Alshain
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by Alshain » Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:38 pm

cv66er wrote:but I can't say they're all worthless, just my local one.
This...

Lincare is the best in my city. I can't imagine all of them are good, but just because they have the name doesn't mean they are or aren't.

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Bernie
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by Bernie » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:46 pm

I agree with the Lincare haters here. My first clue was as a newbie when I received a call from a friendly sounding rep purporting to ask me how my therapy was going, but when I tried to ask questions I realized all they wanted was to get me to authorize a shipment of more supplies. I learned from this site that you don’t need supplies nearly as often as Lincare wants you to have them, and got on “don’t call me, I’ll call you” schedule over their strong medical objection. I have high-deductible insurance, meaning in a good year I pay for supplies myself. In December we were over the deductible so I called to place my first order in a long time, which the Lincare rep took down, but when I asked what it cost it was like I was being incredibly unreasonable. Sorry to be unreasonable, Lincare, but when I buy something I ask what it costs. Do you not do that? The rep didn’t even have prices and I had to call a different department, wait in another phone queue, and was quoted prices that sounded great except that they quoted me my co-pay, not the full amount. Hello? You don’t know about my deductible, or whether I’m over it, so please don’t tell me I don’t pay it and don’t need to know the amount. Then I compared the full prices to online and found them to be 47% above market, for the exact same equipment. So I called my insurance company and asked why they won’t cover me if I buy online, and why they insist that I pay 47% above market. No answer to that one. So I did what my insurance company wants. I ordered from Lincare and paid 47% above market.

Citizen is right. Lincare is a poster child for what is wrong with our healthcare system. Their mission is that the user never gets pricing information, and they’re good at it. And the insurance companies aren’t good enough at monitoring it. The user isn’t allowed to save them money. Easier for them to cut the fees for some poor G.P. who is just trying to practice medicine in a way that makes economic sense.

I can't wait for the time when I will replace my machine. Why is it that if LIncare wants to give me a cheap machine and my insurance will pay them a flat amount for it, I'm not even allowed to pay the difference for a real machine? Their answer, "you aren't allowed to have that machine, sir." That's what they told me last time, and it wasn't good for my blood pressure, but let's just say that I got the machine I wanted, and was willing to pay the difference except that the system doesn't even give them a way for them to charge you.

I'll say one thing about high deductible health insurance. It gets you to manage costs the way everybody should.

xm41907
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Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by xm41907 » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:12 pm

So far I've been relatively happy with my local Lincare. I received a PR System One Pro right off the bat. My rep checked up on me a few days later and when I informed him I was having high AHIs he immediately sent out an envelope for the data card and forwarded it on to the doctor. I recently was titrated for a bipap and will receive it tomorrow. I was worried about the machine as the titration summary stated an older model, but Lincare took it upon themselves to give me a PR System One Auto BiPAP. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but so far, my experience has been positive.

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retrodave15
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by retrodave15 » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:44 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:Thanks Retrodave, for the positive info about United.
My hubby wants to consider them for our Medicare supplemental;
but my experience with them at work several years ago has left me hesitant to even want to consider them in another context.
I have been happy with United, but I have a special situation. I work for the state, and we are a self pay system, United just process the paperwork and pays the claims. I will say that they have gone to bat for me several times. The also have told me what or who has caused delays in an approval process.

I also have a good friend that is a claims rep for the local Aetna office - she even said United is OK.

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FLAkeys

Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by FLAkeys » Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:10 pm

Lincare supplied as Dr's orders but mask was wrong after trying to sleep the first night.
After a few days call rep and was told it worked fine in the office, sure I was sitting in a chair not laying down in bed.
They sent out very nice lady who swapped out mask. I was told they would be it touch for supplies. Once the contract was over - almost a year - I get a call about supplies
and I said you have not cared in a year why now and was informed they can not call me I have to call them. !!
They have no customer service that is qualified the only dept. they have that does it's job some times is billing.
They should be removed from all health care systems.

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Krelvin
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by Krelvin » Tue Oct 21, 2014 1:15 pm

FLAkeys wrote:Lincare supplied as Dr's orders but mask was wrong after trying to sleep the first night.
After a few days call rep and was told it worked fine in the office, sure I was sitting in a chair not laying down in bed.
They sent out very nice lady who swapped out mask. I was told they would be it touch for supplies. Once the contract was over - almost a year - I get a call about supplies
and I said you have not cared in a year why now and was informed they can not call me I have to call them. !!
They have no customer service that is qualified the only dept. they have that does it's job some times is billing.
They should be removed from all health care systems.
Curious... Are you proactive about your own care? So you have not asked about new masks and supplies for a year?
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Greg Riddle
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by Greg Riddle » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:36 pm

I have lincare as a dme. I feel your pain and agitating

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Lincare selling policy?

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:25 pm

Medicare does not want DME's soliciting sales.
Once in a while one might ask permission to "remind" you, but that is as far as they can go under Medicare.

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