Wright & Filippis

Dennis K · Post by **Dennis K** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:43 pm

To anyone who will listen

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnia over 2 years ago. After following my doctor's instruction, I went to Wright & Filippis to get me cpap machine. And that's where all my troubles began.

1.) The employee who went over the unit explained how everything worked, then gave me my unit, took me to the front desk and said pay this $35.00 and the unit is yours.
2.) I never signed any contract which stated how many months or the fact that this was a rental unit.
3.) During my 2 years of usage I have changed health care provider. And Wright & Filippis has asked for my new medical information over 3 times without getting things adjusted properly.
4.) When I ask how long this rental is for no one will give me a closing date. I don't buy a car without knowing how long my payments are for. How can W & F get away with this.

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:47 pm

tell them to send you a copy of the signed Rental Agreement.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:34 am

I also have Wright & Filippis. Aren't we lucky? NOT! Altho I will say I was given a itemized list w/their "billable" prices for my equipment: a separate one for the CPAP itself which is a capped rental thru Medicare and a separate one for the purchased items (humidifier, etc.). And I did have to sign both statements and was given a copy of each.

On the other hand, they had been forewarned by my sleep lab manager that I would want a copy of EVERYTHING and was to be given a fully data capable Resmed S8 Elite.

What you need to do is to call your current insurance company to find out just what your DME benefits are, your copays and deductables. At this late date, I doubt there is anyway you can find out from your previous insurance what your DME benefits were. One does wonder/suspect if W&F started your rental all over again brand new w/the new insurance company for the same machine rather than a new machine.

Effective 01 Jan 2006 Medicare instituted a 13 month capped rental after which time you own the CPAP machine free and clear. My capped rental is completed 09 Nov 07 for which I will be ever so grateful to be done w/W&F!!!

While you are talking w/your current insurance company you should also ask which local DME suppliers they are contracted w/besides W&F, hopefully there will be a choice of other DMEs. I'd also ask about switching from W&F to another local DME and what that would entail. By the time I had had enough of W&F I was too far into the Medicare rental for it to be economically feasible for another DME to provide a CPAP for me. Medicare is only going to pay for 13 months for a CPAP no matter you switch DMEs or not.

By the way: if your W&F office is the Saginaw, MI office, I am hearing RAVES about Superior Health Care on Christy Way in Saginaw from both PATIENTS AND sleep specialists in the area. They specialize in Respiratory and xPAP equipment only.

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:18 pm

1.) The employee who went over the unit explained how everything worked, then gave me my unit, took me to the front desk and said pay this $35.00 and the unit is yours.

You have been paying $35.00 a month -- plus what they have collected from the insurance for this machine? If my calculations are correct you have already paid them $840 out of YOUR pocket for this machine -- not counting what they have collected from the insurance. I would be yelling that I want a copy of the rental agreement. If you don't like face to face confrontations -- mail them a letter requesting that you want a copy of ALL original documents and any afterwards pertaining to this item. Send it registered mail so they can't claim they didn't get it. If you have to threaten to contact your lawyer -- usually a threat is sufficient.

3.) During my 2 years of usage I have changed health care provider. And Wright & Filippis has asked for my new medical information over 3 times without getting things adjusted properly.

While you are at send your insurance information with the letter and keep a copy so you can prove they received it when you get the delivery confirmation back-- make copies of everything you send them.

[/quote]2.) I never signed any contract which stated how many months or the fact that this was a rental unit.

Are you sure you didn't sign something as that is a legal document and I can't imagine them not requiring a signature. If you truly didn't sign then why have you kept making payments on the unit? I would have asked questions long ago why I was still getting billed for it if I didn't sign anything. I wouldn't make another payment on it if there was no agreement.

If your current insurance company hasn't paid on this unit -- why not try to keep it as a spare and see if you can't get a new machine somewhere else that your current insurance company deals with. You don't say what type of CPAP you have and what about mask, tubing, filters? How have you been getting them? Are you purchasing them outright or what?