Replacement machine on insurance

[englandsf]

When have most folks got the OK to replace a machine - 5 yrs? I am with BCBS and have great cover, but bought a second machine cash. I have 2 S( Autosets working just fine now.

[Bertha deBlues]

When have most folks got the OK to replace a machine - 5 yrs? I am with BCBS and have great cover, but bought a second machine cash. I have 2 S( Autosets working just fine now.

My Medicare advantage plan says OK to replace after 5 years. Might need a repeat sleep study, or at least a new Rx.

[chunkyfrog]

Check with your INSURANCE. They are in charge of the money.
Plug in your phone--they like to run down batteries.

[john_adams]

good luck with bcbs

they dont answer letters

What's a letter?

[poppi2]

john_adams

aka Captain America?

[CpapWife]

Our insurance thru our employer has always been 3 years. I have been told medicare is 5 years.

HOWEVER... your DME may tell you different things so check with your insurance directly.
We had a DME tell us we HAD to get a sleep study because we had moved states.
Same DME took the CPAP to a back room and it came back non-functioning (err message displayed and no way to turn it on). They swore they "did nothing" but it sure looked suspicious (from now on it doesn't leave my sight).
Same DME told us that our insurance would only pay to repair it, and would not even consider a new machine unless it could not be repaired. They said they never covered new machines no matter how old yours was. They said they would rent us a machine but insurance would only cover the first month and we would have to pay the rest of the time out of our pocket and it would 8-9 months to even see if they could repair it.

We had very good insurance and I thought this was garbage (and a waste of our and insurance money).
I called the insurance, none of what the DME said was true.
In fact they said machine could have been replaced 1-2 years earlier (at the 3 year mark).
If we would have been told that by the DME in the first visit they never would have had the chance to take it into the back room and return it broken.

We went to another DME and bought a new apap brand new (insurance purchased it, no renting).

I find many DMEs in AZ says your insurance will only do....
Often the DMEs is quoting medicare, but often they are just doing what they want to do.

I fully learned what our insurance covered and I push back all the time now (so sad I have to do this) and of course they end up doing what our insurance really does (or lose our business).

We are new to BCBS but have no problem getting responses from them quickly via phone. Same experience with UHC. But there are different types of insurance and ours have all been pretty good ones thru an employer so YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[RicaLynn]

HOWEVER... your DME may tell you different things so check with your insurance directly.

Hope do you know your DME is lying to you? Their lips are moving. ALWAYS check with your insurer

[palerider]

HOWEVER... your DME may tell you different things so check with your insurance directly.

Hope do you know your DME is lying to you? Their lips are moving. ALWAYS check with your insurer

Sometimes even when their lips AREN'T moving...