Help selecting from four DMEs

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
davecpap
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Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by davecpap » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:43 am

I need to pick a DME via Carecentrix - my insurance is Cigna. Here are my options:

Community Surgical - http://www.communitysurgical.com
SleepMed - http://www.sleepmedinc.com/
American Home Patient - http://www.ahom.com/
Apria - Carecentrix warned they need CC on file

My two concerns are 1) their reputation for being helpful, providing supplies I want - i.e., dishwasher safe chambers, the specific machine I want, etc. - anyone have opinions on the places above?

2nd concern is # of locations they have across the country. I want to be able to go to nearest location while traveling in case something breaks. Looking up locations, Apria and American Home Patient have locations in the cities I care about.

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STL Mark
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by STL Mark » Mon Mar 30, 2015 9:06 am

I would be more concerned about the quality of service instead of a national company. A small mom and pop shop may work best for you. If you have good insurance you will have spares of supplies to take with you on trips.

I would visit each ahead of time. Ask for example if you have a need to come in and schedule a visit if you will be with a respiratory therapist. Ask about their mask exchange/return policy. Ask if the patient copay charges will be clearly marked on the documents prior to leaving with supplies. Ask if you could for example get a ResMed Autoset machine if you have a prescription for an APAP or if they use a lesser quality machine than the Respironics and ResMed standard. Ask if they charge shipping charges if you call in for supplies.

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davecpap
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by davecpap » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:03 am

I always bring spare mask, tubing, etc.. but recently I needed to replace my entire machine on a business trip because it had stopped powering on. That experience made me want to go with a large national supplier in the hopes I could walk in and get a loaner machine, replacement, etc..

My first choice was a mom & pop shop near my house I had used in the past.. they are apparently in network with Cigna but are only in network with Carecentrix for some DME goods but not CPAP supplies - even though they carry them. This CareCentrix stuff seems to add an entire new layer of complexity - not sure how they are adding value to this process.

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Pugsy
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by Pugsy » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:17 am

You might look more closely at American Home and search the forum for comments about it.
Apparently several forum members use American Home and I haven't seen many complaints about them...
now Apria that's another story with many, many forum member complaints.

You can use the forum search function and do a search for "American home" and I think get some hits.

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chefmate
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by chefmate » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:23 am

Anyone besides CAPRIA(AKA Apria)
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Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
ClimateLineAir™ Heated Tube for AirSense™ 10 and AirCurve™ 10 Machines

davecpap
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by davecpap » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:28 am

Pugsy wrote:You can use the forum search function and do a search for "American home" and I think get some hits.
I've been searching for a couple weeks now, and there doens't seem to be a standout favorite of large DMEs, but AHP does seem to be more positive than negative.

The wildcard is SleepMed; most of the posts I saw simply acknowledge they exist but weren't positive or negative.

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Chairman Meow
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by Chairman Meow » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:53 am

I use American Home Patient and I was initially very happy with the service and response time from my local office and the operators at the national number have been friendly if not very helpful. Unfortunately, that all went downhill when I needed to change my mask. I was initially given a Wisp and it didn't work out for me - so I went in to return it and they didn't carry any of the other masks I wanted to try (FX Nano, AirFit N10, Airfit P10). I had previously tried the Swift FX (at my first visit and fitting) - but all they had in stock was the men's version and on this occasion when I was trying to find a new mask, I asked about the women's version and the RT scoffed about the only difference being the color. I pulled up the ResMed website and showed her that the description shows that the head gear strap is shorter and that the pillows come in an XS. She kind of rolled her eyes and told me that if I wanted the women's version I'd have to order it through the national number. When I called the national number, I was told that the local agency would have to order it for me. While I was on the phone with them I asked about the other masks I wanted to try (FX Nano, AirFit N10, Airfit P10) and was told that AHP doesn't carry any of those styles and they couldn't special order them. I asked if they would be carrying them in the future and I was told that there are currently no plans to add to their inventory.

I gave up and ordered the Airfit P10 from Cpap.com and will probably just stick with ordering from them in the future.

Also, just FYI - AHP doesn't carry the ResMed S10 yet, and customer service had no idea when they would begin doing so.

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Janknitz
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by Janknitz » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:02 am

Be sure to ask about mask return policies because it may take you several tries to find the right mask. If they limit you to one return (or none) then you are stuck with a bad mask and the mask is THE most important part.

Crapria is truly terrible. They never get billing right (NEVER!!!) and about 75% of my orders with them have been wrong, too. It takes me hours and filing complaints and it's terrible for my BP!
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
Don't Pay that Upcharge! http://tinyurl.com/2ck48rm

davecpap
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by davecpap » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:38 am

Chairman Meow wrote:Also, just FYI - AHP doesn't carry the ResMed S10 yet, and customer service had no idea when they would begin doing so.
This was a concern of mine - my local office said they got their first units on Friday.

I was wondering how hard it would be to get the dishwasher safe version of the water chamber via American Home Patient. It involved some hoops with last DME (Lincare) - had to be ordered from the local office.

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tazman
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by tazman » Mon Mar 30, 2015 2:05 pm

I went with Apria without knowing better. I talked to my local office with a direct number from the sleep center and things went alright except the RT did not want to give me the mask I wanted so I had to go back for the exchange before the 30 days were up. Calling their normal numbers is a joke wait time are over 30 minutes and when I called about the mask they said someone from the local office would call to setup an appointment which never happened so I just went to the location and was able to do the exchange with no problems. Where my local Apria seems to be decent to deal with after my initial dealings are done I will be looking elsewhere because of the their ties with the main company.

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robysue
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by robysue » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:26 pm

davecpap wrote:I need to pick a DME via Carecentrix - my insurance is Cigna. Here are my options:

Community Surgical - http://www.communitysurgical.com
SleepMed - http://www.sleepmedinc.com/
American Home Patient - http://www.ahom.com/
Apria - Carecentrix warned they need CC on file
I'd suggest interviewing the local office of each of these four companies. And make them earn your business.

Call them up and ask questions. Be polite but firm. Here's a reasonable script for the questions you need to be asking at this point:
  • I've recently been diagnosed with OSA and I am in the process of choosing a DME to provide my equipment. My insurance is Cigna and they say that you are one of the in network DMEs. I'd like to ask you some questions.

    If I were to choose you for my DME would you provide me with a <PAP machine of your choice> even if my script simply reads CPAP at 10cm? Would you provide me with a <second choice PAP machine>?

    What is your mask return policy? If the first mask that I choose is clearly not working, how does the exchange policy work? Will I have to physically return the mask to you before I can get a second one? What if I exchange my first mask and the second mask also doesn't work out? What if I find out the first mask is better than the second mask?

    How do you handle replacement supplies? Do you send them out regularly whether I contact you or not? Do you wait until I contact you and tell you what I want sent to me? Will you call me if it has been a while since I've ordered any supplies?

    How often do you recommend that I order a new mask cushion (or pillows)? How often should I replace the filters? How often should I replace the hose? How often should I replace the headgear on my mask?

    Will you sell me a heated hose even if my script does not specify a heated hose? Will you provide me with a dishwasher safe humidifier tank if that is optional equipment?

    What kind of support can I expect if I run into problems making CPAP therapy work in my own bedroom? Is there an RT regularly available to answer my questions and deal with my problems? Or will I have to make an appointment to see or talk to an RT since one is usually not available?
Keep detailed notes about each interview. After you have interviewed all four places (and any others you identify in the meantime), you'll be in a much better position to pick the right DME for you in your particular neck of the woods.

My two concerns are 1) their reputation for being helpful, providing supplies I want - i.e., dishwasher safe chambers, the specific machine I want, etc. - anyone have opinions on the places above?
The national reputations of for the Big Name DMEs are less important than the local reputation of the local branch. While Apria is routinely criticized as Crapia around here, there are some local Apria outfits that provide decent service. In general the smaller, local shops and chains that specialize in CPAP equipment are usually (but not always) better in terms of service and the default machines they provide their customers. That's why it's important to interview any DME that you want to consider for your main supplier of CPAP supplies.
2nd concern is # of locations they have across the country. I want to be able to go to nearest location while traveling in case something breaks. Looking up locations, Apria and American Home Patient have locations in the cities I care about.
By the time you've gone through the first or second equipment replacement cycle, you'll have back up supplies of the "consumables" on hand. (You don't need to replace the humidifier tank every six months, and so when you get the new one, you can retire the old one to back up status for example.) And if the machine itself breaks, the most important thing is to have a valid prescription for the machine with you. With the script, getting a loaner or a replacement machine is not so difficult. Without it, things are more problematic.

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TeamPCBeach
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by TeamPCBeach » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:19 pm

I have been very happy with American Home Patient. When I first went in the prescription from my GP didn't say anything by CPAP 10CM. They helped me fill out the form that got the mask all supplies etc. They are a RESMED only company and only have the S9s right now. Since the S10 is out, I didn't want to be stuck with an S9 for 5 years. The wrote RESMED S10 on the form. My doctor signed it and now they will swap out my S9 for an S10 when they have them in stock.

I had significant mask problems. Started with a WISP. Two nights and I had an open sore on the bridge of my nose. They had me come right in and changed me to an Fx. Still had problems with the bridge of my nose. Two weeks later they had me come back in and fitted my with Nuance Pro Nasal Pillows they had just gotten in. Now works great.'

They provided an email address so it is very easy to get in touch with them.

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Thewino
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by Thewino » Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:35 am

American HomePatient seriously had one of the top ten worst customer service experiences that I've ever had the displeasure to do business with. I wrote the company headquarters stating what happened and expressed my dissatisfaction. Keeping with their very poor customer focused skills, they never called nor wrote me back.

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winnie
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Re: Help selecting from four DMEs

Post by winnie » Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:40 am

Chairman Meow wrote:...She kind of rolled her eyes and told me that if I wanted the women's version I'd have to order it through the national number. When I called the national number, I was told that the local agency would have to order it for me....

The person I deal with at my my local DME also seemed scornful when I told them I wanted the "for her" versions of the mask and machine. I'm sure she rolled her eyes as soon as I was out of sight. What's the matter with these people? Even of the only difference was colour (and it's not) why shouldn't we be allowed to choose the colour we want for equipment we will be using for many hours every day? For me the colour and appearance of something is a big deal. It makes me depressed to use equipment that is uglier than it needs to be.