DME tried to give me a discontinued ASV machine

[johnthomasmacdonald]

after FINALLY getting approval from my insurance company for an ASV machine, the DME tries to give me a discontinued respironics asv machine, doesn't even have an sd card. THey blame it on the MD since the prescription just calls for an ASV machine (their logic being that if the MD didn't explicitly tell them not to rip you off, they have to) with no other specification except the pressures. I'm then stuck with this unit for 5 years. I'd rather just stick with the RESMED ASV enhanced i've been using. Luckily - due to this site - i knew enough to call the DME before they came here to ask what unit i was getting - i figured it was going to be either the resmed s9 asv or the respironics system one 960. It is amazing that you have to watch every medical bill every second to not get ripped off.

[oak]

yes so true. with me, she plunks this brick down in front of me like thats what you're getting and just sat there with a straight face. I had to get really assertive. Then she went on the whole (read power) compliance trip and I set her straight on that because I had already talked to my insurance company, who didnt care about compliance. THEN she tries to tell me that I will have a copay and they will rent it to me for 10 months. I told her that my insurance company would pay 100 percent and she almost fell off the chair, I kid you not. They are just so arrogant.

[msla]

Sort of lower than a "used insurance" salesman. I am trying to not disparage insurance or used car people.

[chunkyfrog]

It's too bad there are so many people who feel they have no choice.
But if you don't ask around, and do your research, you are doomed to be a statistic, feed the monster, etc.

[fringel]

Funny, but I just had almost the same thing happen to me today. I also went through alot of trouble to obtain approval for the autoSv from my insurer and specificially requested the PR System One 950. The RT showed up with a Remstar AutoSv which I understood was an older model (not sure if it was discontinued or not) but it is definitely technology that is 2 or so years old. When I specificzlly said I wanted the System one for several reasons, they first told me that the doctor did not prescibe that specific machine and when I told them I did not care, they then said they didn't carry the model and would not obtain one for me.

I am now looking for a new DME.

Fred

[NateS]

after FINALLY getting approval from my insurance company for an ASV machine, the DME tries to give me a discontinued respironics asv machine, doesn't even have an sd card. THey blame it on the MD since the prescription just calls for an ASV machine (their logic being that if the MD didn't explicitly tell them not to rip you off, they have to) with no other specification except the pressures. I'm then stuck with this unit for 5 years. I'd rather just stick with the RESMED ASV enhanced i've been using. Luckily - due to this site - i knew enough to call the DME before they came here to ask what unit i was getting - i figured it was going to be either the resmed s9 asv or the respironics system one 960. It is amazing that you have to watch every medical bill every second to not get ripped off.

Takes me back to my experience with my DME in December of 2011. I finally got my third sleep test and was prescribed for an ASV, and this lady at the DME calls me and says "we have your machine all ready to bring it out to you this afternoon." (How thoughtful, I'm thinking, since the address they gave me is only about a mile or two away from me and I'm perfectly capable of driving out to get it.) Since I knew from studying cpaptalk which was the latest model, and that ResMed was at that time also listing the older similarly named model in their website too, the conversation went about like this:

Me: Is it the ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt?
She: We only carry ResMed.
Me: Is it the S9 VPAP Adapt?
She: It's what your doctor prescribed.
Me: Is it the S9 VPAP Adapt?
She: Yes, it's an Adapt.
Me: Is it the S9?
She: (long pause) … (annoyingly) I'll have to call you back.

About 15 minutes later she calls back:

She: It will be a few more days. We will have to special order it in.
Me: I also prefer to come into the store myself to see all your masks and try them so I can pick one out.
She: Oh. Okay.

I didn't really know what the difference in Adapt models was, I only knew, from cpaptalk, that I was entitled to it. Only later did I learn that the latest model included an enhanced algorithm and was quieter than the earlier model.

And that's what I got.

Thanks to cpaptalk and the knowledgeable members participating here.

Best wishes, Nate

[Xney]

Get a new DME.. and consider yourself the better for it. There's good ones out there!

[Tino2You]

Get a new DME.. and consider yourself the better for it. There's good ones out there!

It's sad how many rocks you have to turn over till you find one that is not slimy.
-tino