Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Enchanter
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Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Enchanter » Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:36 pm

That is my next step. The Doctors assistant told me that the healthcare will be able to inform me on what's going on with the CPAP. But the last 2 days I have not been able to get a hold of them. Spent an hour each time waiting for someone to pick up, but they were busy and then I had to go. Is it always like this for you?

I just think it's time for me to get my mask that they ordered for me.
My Current Therapies
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- Allergy Shots + nose Spray + Hepa Air Purifier
- Cardiovascular Exercise + Stretching

yaconsult
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by yaconsult » Tue Aug 25, 2015 11:23 pm

Yes, that happened to me with the DME. They either didn't answer or put me on hold for hours or hung up. So I took the half hour drive over there without an appointment or letting them know I was coming.

I sat in the waiting room and told them I had been waiting for 6 months and nothing had happened so I was there to work out any and all problems with the order. They were missing paperwork - a copy of the sleep study that they said they needed but had never requested - so I called the clinic and they faxed it to them and stayed on the phone with me until the DME came in and said they had it. I walked out with my new machine and mask that very day.

Or call your health care provider's main number and tell you them need to speak to the Ombudsman. Their job is to resolve complaints with customers.

If the people you are dealing with consider you a difficult customer, they will just keep coming up with excuses hoping you will eventually just go away.

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Goofproof
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Goofproof » Tue Aug 25, 2015 11:47 pm

As long as we are going to answer this post again............ make your call from a pay phone, so caller ID won't let them know who you are. Go to their bussiness ask to borrow their phone, call them on it......... Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

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sn00zin
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by sn00zin » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:22 pm

My Sleep Doctor's office makes appointments for 6 weeks in the future. The insurance company's doctor directory doesn't even list a phone number that a human answers to call. I finally had to find it on WebMD.

seajay
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by seajay » Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:06 pm

I have been trying to get a hold of my DME for a month! I have held on the phone for 30 min then I give up. I called my insurance co to see if they could help and guess what I got a phone call today. It is so frustrating. If I want to order products, they answer right away. Good luck. I'd look for another one but they probably wouldn't be any better. You have to talk to an RT and I guess they don't have the help. What makes me madder is they won't give me the local number.

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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:19 pm

My doctor's office uses a voice menu. Liberal use is made of the "record a message" function.
The message time is insufficient for all practical purposes. I have driven to the office and walked in
to deliver a note to the doctor or request a prescription renewal. I try to be polite,
but it would be nice if the record time was adequate for all the $()?/&@ they want on it.

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Goofproof
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Goofproof » Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:25 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:My doctor's office uses a voice menu. Liberal use is made of the "record a message" function.
The message time is insufficient for all practical purposes. I have driven to the office and walked in
to deliver a note to the doctor or request a prescription renewal. I try to be polite,
but it would be nice if the record time was adequate for all the $()?/&@ they want on it.
It doesn't matter too much, most companies don't hire anyone to listen to the message anyway. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Sir NoddinOff
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Sir NoddinOff » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:00 am

Last year when I was with Apria it was a nightmare at times. When I first started with them several years ago there was a local office and I'd just call the same couple of people who knew my name and it was 'easy peasy'... no mistakes ever. After they went to the national call service it all went into the crapper faster that you could say "Crapria". Sad, but I hear Lincare and the other national DMEs are just as bad.

Here's a question: Is Apria still demanding credit card numbers from their clients

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LSAT
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by LSAT » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:39 am

seajay wrote:I have been trying to get a hold of my DME for a month! I have held on the phone for 30 min then I give up. I called my insurance co to see if they could help and guess what I got a phone call today. It is so frustrating. If I want to order products, they answer right away. Good luck. I'd look for another one but they probably wouldn't be any better. You have to talk to an RT and I guess they don't have the help. What makes me madder is they won't give me the local number.
I would guess that Denver has several "walk in" DMEs...Check your phone directory under Respiratory Therapy....Whenever I need supplies I drive a few miles and stop in...I'm back home with my supplies within 30 minutes.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:41 am

Sir NoddinOff wrote: . . . Here's a question: Is Apria still demanding credit card numbers from their clients
Probably. I have no reason to care.

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Madalot
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Madalot » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:47 am

I must be one of the lucky ones. My doctor's office (Primary anyway ) has a human being answer all incoming calls and when I call my DME, it is a struggle but I'm very good at muddling through voicemail crap and getting to a human being. And that wasn't easy on a Friday night, 7:30pm, when they brought me the wrong damn oxygen concentrator and left it sitting on my bedroom floor unhooked.

But I'll be darned if I didn't finally get a HUMAN on the phone that night.

I guess I'm just a very persistent bitch that doesn't give up. And that's one reason I am where I am in all this (and life).

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seajay
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by seajay » Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:09 am

Madalot

I use to be a bitch but I'm too old. I swear this machine is not working right. I had more room air than the machine gave this am. I did sleep thru the night if you count the three trips to the bathroom. Now I have to get a new prescription for the ResMed and figure out the settings I once had.

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Madalot
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Madalot » Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:24 am

seajay wrote:Madalot

I use to be a bitch but I'm too old. I swear this machine is not working right. I had more room air than the machine gave this am. I did sleep thru the night if you count the three trips to the bathroom. Now I have to get a new prescription for the ResMed and figure out the settings I once had.
I hear you there. During my "adjustment" phase, I got so tired of dealing with all the B.S. But I'd have my little pity party, then pick myself up and start fighting again. It's just the way I am.

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Enchanter
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by Enchanter » Thu Aug 27, 2015 5:04 pm

They still have not picked up. They put me on hold so long, my phones battery dies. So do I just try to figure out their address and show up unannounced?

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack. But why do I have to climb mountains just to attempt to get what they are supposed to give me? It's almost September....
My Current Therapies
- CPAP + Humidifier
- Allergy Shots + nose Spray + Hepa Air Purifier
- Cardiovascular Exercise + Stretching

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LSAT
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Re: Is your healtcares phone line always busy?

Post by LSAT » Thu Aug 27, 2015 5:45 pm

Enchanter wrote:They still have not picked up. They put me on hold so long, my phones battery dies. So do I just try to figure out their address and show up unannounced?

I know I'm going to get a lot of flack. But why do I have to climb mountains just to attempt to get what they are supposed to give me? It's almost September....
You really should call from a different phone....They may recognize the number and are ignoring you..(just like the members here)

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