Can I easily switch my DME?

[fotomatt1]

I've had my CPAP (Philips Dream Station Auto) for about 18 months. It took a while but I'm finally used to it and now reliant on my machine for sleep. Out of the blue a few weeks ago my machine started making a noise every time i exhaled. The only thing I could compare it to is a kazoo. The noise kept both my wife and I awake and she said it was just as bad as my snoring. I tried to fix it a number of ways, changed hoses, masks, new filters, and with and without the humidifier. I finally realized the sound was coming from inside the blower. I knew the warranty was 2 years on my machine so I called my DME who said I'd have to bring it in.

Initially, the guy at the DME said he didn't hear anything, despite the fact that they had a very loud air conditioning system going. I finally convinced him to shut it off, and then he heard it. He was insistent that it was the humidifier, so they reluctantly got another one. It still made the sound so he got his manager. She claimed to not hear anything and the best she would do is send it for a repair that I would have to pay for. I told her I knew what the warranty was and she got angry and said fine....if Respironics would give them an RA# they'd replace it. Respironics talked to them on the phone for a few minutes, had them try a few things and then gave them an RA# and the DME go give me a NEW machine which they'd replace in their inventory. The woman at the DME was now very angry and walked away, and the guy who originally was helping me came back with another machine that he packed up and told me was new.

When I got home, I noticed the "new" machine had food stuck to the bottom of it despite looking mostly new, but didn't have any labels or the protective film over the display. I went into the clinician menu and saw the it had 360 hours on it!!! I called the DME back and the guy got all nervous and claimed that my insurance company (Aetna) tells them that any machine with less than 500 hours on it is considered new. I was furious that they didn't disclose this to me and gave me an unsanitary machine. I called Respironics myself and they told me that the DME should have given me a new machine because they were replacing the broken one with a brand new machine. I called Aetna who also told me that was NOT their policy, so they conferenced the DME in who got even more nervous and told us that they'd send over a new machine sealed in the box, which they did the next day.

I'm a little astounded that they were giving me a used machine (with food stuck on it no less) and then selling the new replacement machine Philips was sending.

After this, I don't want to do business with this DME, and they don't want to see me in there again, but it seems as though I have to stay with the company my machine came from? How can I switch and have my compliance data and supply eligibility go to a new DME? Any suggestions? Any help is appreciated.

[Julie]

Talk to Aetna... they make those decisions I believe.

[greatunclebill]

make a full report of the incident to the aetna corp office and the dme corp office if the are not mom and pop. leave nothing out. this one incident makes all of them look bad and they need to know how bad they look at the corp level. chances are the phone operator did nothing to elevate it, certainly not to the corp level.