Apria sucks - there I said it.

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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geoDoug
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Apria sucks - there I said it.

Post by geoDoug » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:09 pm

When I first started at Apria, they gave me a POS worthless mask. A few months later, I paid for a Hybrid out-of-pocket.

I'm past-due to get a new mask and accessories. I got a message fom Apria when I was out of the house. (Message from their automated system.) So I called the local branch today. The call went kinda like this:
Me: I nicely told the woman at Apria that I was overdue for a new mask, had bought a hybrid out-of-pocket, was happy with it, and wanted a replacement.
Apria woman: "You need a prescription from your doctor for that."
Me: "You have a prescription on file with a refill that says 'patient preference.'"
Her: Silence then "let me put you on hold to check your record." puts me on hold, comes back, then says "we don't have a prescription for you. You need to call your doctor."
Me: completely deflated now "Ok, thank you."

I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle her, but the only purpose it would've served is me letting off steam and probably further raising my blood pressure. Ironic, isn't it? (As an aside: Yes, I realize now that giving them the prescription was my mistake. I was new to CPAPdome back in March and didn't know I was dealing with a satanic company. If I knew that, I would've kept the original of the Rx. I don't even have a copy of it.)

Since my insurance is Aetna, which deals only with Apria, I'm freakin' back to square one. I've decided that I have to treat Apria like children and spell things out in absurd detail. I have to call the sleep doc and ask for a prescription.

Any suggestions on exact wording for the Rx? I'm thinking that "Universal Hybrid Rev C mask" should be good enough since it comes with all supplies.

Doug.

PS Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Apria?


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Perchancetodream
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Post by Perchancetodream » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:43 pm

I wasn't aware that masks required prescriptions. cpap.com doesn't seem to need them.

If you must get an Rx, I'd suggest you get it written as broadly as possible in case you want to change styles or brands later. "Patient preference" sounds like it would cover a Hybrid today and an Ultra Mirage six months from now.

Susan

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fidget
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Post by fidget » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:56 pm

Masks don't legally require a prescription, but most insurance companies do, or they won't reimburse. Some require a new script for each and every mask, which is the stupidest thing ever.

Doug, the reason they probably need a specific script for the Hybrid is, that they have to special order it, they aren't stocked from a contracted vendor, like Respironics or Resmed. Every time a Hybrid is ordered, it has to come directly from the manufacturer, and the regional purchasing department will want to make sure they really need to order it.

Stinks, but such is corporate America.

Just like WalMart doesn't stock every brand of TV on its warehouse shelves, Apria doesn't stock every brand of mask either. Just the big 3, mostly.


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dreamR
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Post by dreamR » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:38 am

ditto ditto ditto and yes they do from my non "patient needs" lack of care ... they are in it for one thing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

My place could at least try and fake compassion ... sheeeeswszz

what goes around cometh aroundeth Mr APRIA RT.. errr. I mean Mr salesman! WHAM!

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Post by Guest » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:12 am

Ms. Apria RT, and FYI, some of stay in it and do the best we can with the restriction forced on us by corporate America, and insurance companies. And the reason we hang around places like this is to help educate ourselves to help our patients the best we can, and help correct misinformation.

The bias against DMEs is one thing, but for most people, there truly is no other choice, so we might as well help each other as much as we can, huh?

BTW, I've never hidden the fact that I'm an Apria RT.

I've also never treated anyone here disrespectfully, and that's certainly not something that can be said about how I've been treated.

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dreamR
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FIDGET you are an exceptionally helpful Apria employee imo

Post by dreamR » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:57 am

I surely wish I had you for my RT this week! Please accept my apologies if I offended you ... I actually thanked you in a previous post as you gave me great info and now I did not know you were with Apria... so you are excluded imo of any insults. You have been nothing but helpful to me and I appreciate it as I just joined and posted for the first time yesterday or day before (cant remember at this point since Im sleepless )

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Last edited by dreamR on Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
this too shall pass

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Slinky
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Post by Slinky » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:57 am

Aw, Fidget, we do appreciate you. I know I sure have tho we've not traded posts in awhile your posts have been helpful to me in the past. And I'm sure you must have read a few posts here from those who have been fortunate to have a caring RT such as yourself in their Apria office.

And DreamR, as well as Fidget, my current local DME has been very generous letting me try various masks until I found one that worked for me, but when I did want to try a Quattro full face (had never tried a full face and had a nasal cushion that works great for me but needed a full face for congestion [COPD & sinus]) they did tell me that I would need a new script for ANY full face mask. That was no problem, my sleep lab FAXed one over to them and I had the Quattro in no time. Meanwhile, my regular replacement mask remains the Simplicity nasal cushion at my request.


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fidget
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Post by fidget » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:20 am

Slinky, they're trying to train my poor malfunctioning brain to do customer service. I haven't had time to do much of anything besides try to cram key functions into my head.

Here's the problem, Apria's branches are only as good as the people working there, and there truly is not a lot of support from higher up. It's a for profit business, and the stocks are the most important number to them.

RTs are being trained to do stuff they really don't want to do, like collect copay, and make money. I happen to know the same things are happening at places like Lincare, and AHP. DME stocks are suffering with the Medicare cutbacks.

I honestly believe though, that most RTs really want their patients to be taken care of, or why go into health care?

It's going more the way of Cigna though, where, they, the insurance companies, as well as the CEOs are taking choices away from us, as much as the patient. I think it's going to take some kind of healthcare revolution to fix the way things are going.

As soon as Respironics, and FP manage to insitute price controls, places like this will be feeling the pinch as well.

I've said for years insurance companies, are nothing but legalized Mafias.


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rested gal
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Post by rested gal » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:57 am

fidget wrote:Here's the problem, Apria's branches are only as good as the people working there
That's so true of any business.

You're one of the "good'uns", fidget. You always have been.

We do appreciate your sticking with us here, patiently explaining the "why it happened that way."
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dreamR
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Post by dreamR » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:32 am

yes, Fidget, you are one of the "good'uns" as RG said!

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geoDoug
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Customer service

Post by geoDoug » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:05 pm

rested gal wrote:That's so true of any business.
Bingo!

Not enough people realize that when they are on the job they are not just representatives of a company at all times--they are that company. You know those "how am I driving?" bumper stickers on corporate trucks of all kinds? If they drive like a maniac, I've been known to file the company name away in the "don't do business with them" file.

This is what I've always had pounded into my brain: the customer isn't always right, but the customer is always the customer. The customer is every last person every person at a company interacts with--shareholders, potential employees, patients, vendors, manufacturers. A company may have the noblest of goals, but the simple fact is that we are all individuals. The company is who you interact with on an individual basis.

My experience in Customer Service is that a lot fewer people would call or write when their socks were knocked off than if they needed to complain. That may be reflected here as well. It may not. However, what we do know is that there are a LOT of bad experiences with Apria.

The point is, from the customer (in this case, the patient) perspective, the reason does not matter. I have no doubt that there are good RTs in the business. There are several on this on this board. However it's not the customer responsibility to ensure that internal company policies are practiced consistently from the CEO all the way down to the folks answering the phones on first contact.

Doug.

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Perchancetodream
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Post by Perchancetodream » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:59 pm

fidget wrote:Slinky, they're trying to train my poor malfunctioning brain to do customer service. I haven't had time to do much of anything besides try to cram key functions into my head.

Here's the problem, Apria's branches are only as good as the people working there, and there truly is not a lot of support from higher up. It's a for profit business, and the stocks are the most important number to them.

RTs are being trained to do stuff they really don't want to do, like collect copay, and make money. I happen to know the same things are happening at places like Lincare, and AHP. DME stocks are suffering with the Medicare cutbacks.

I honestly believe though, that most RTs really want their patients to be taken care of, or why go into health care?

It's going more the way of Cigna though, where, they, the insurance companies, as well as the CEOs are taking choices away from us, as much as the patient. I think it's going to take some kind of healthcare revolution to fix the way things are going.

As soon as Respironics, and FP manage to insitute price controls, places like this will be feeling the pinch as well.

I've said for years insurance companies, are nothing but legalized Mafias.
Insurance companies don't set the prices, manufacturers and DMEs do. The bigger players, such as Apria have a bigger vote. Insurance companies collect premiums, set aside some of the money for reserves to pay claims and invest the rest. Most of their income comes from the investments, not from the difference between premiums charged and claims paid. They basically just spread the risk from one individual to a large group of individuals.

Medicare is not an insurance company, although a lot of insurance companies use Medicare allowable amounts to set their own payment schedules. Medicare rates are established by commissions established by the federal government.

What Doug wrote is similar to what I used to say about the corporations: as an employee, you are the corporation. There is no "them," there is only us.

Part of being an active participant in your own health care is making decisions by taking into account all of the gears that have to mesh for the system to work.

Personally I think that there is way too much profit in the healthcare system that is going to stockholders and not the people who provide the care. It is easier for me to accept my doctor and his staff (including nurses, RTs and office staff) making a profit from the hours of care they provide than it is for me to accept what I consider to be corporate payola in the form of CEO salaries and perks and shareholder profits.

I agree that we need a healthcare revolution, and would love to see health insurance disappear as a part of it.

Susan

"If space is really a vacuum, who changes the bag?" George Carlin

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Post by RosemaryB » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:56 pm

[quote="Perchancetodream"]I wasn't aware that masks required prescriptions. cpap.com doesn't seem to need them.

If you must get an Rx, I'd suggest you get it written as broadly as possible in case you want to change styles or brands later. "Patient preference" sounds like it would cover a Hybrid today and an Ultra Mirage six months from now.

Susan


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Post by Bookbear » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:13 pm

There are SO many things wrong with the concept of

FOR-PROFIT MEDICINE

It's just wrong.

I do NOT mean that hospitals should make enough money to pay their bills, or that doctors and DME's shouldn't make enough money to raise and support their families. But using medicine to make profits for stockholders? No. Measuring quality of care by profit margins? No. Deciding to open or close a hospital or emergency room by the $ amount of profit generated? NO.

(stepping off soap box)


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geoDoug
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Medicine for profit

Post by geoDoug » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:35 pm

To Bookbear et al,

Regarding the medical industry being for-profit, my one line mantra is, "my health is not a commodity."

Doug.

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