Want Mask fitting and "fired" DME

IndyJudy · Post by **IndyJudy** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:31 pm

OK. I didn't purchase my CPAP or supplies from the only DME who my insurance will pay for, due to VERY excessive pricing. I'm also disputing a 'rental' bill with this company.

I want to get fitted for a full face mask, due to mouth breathing/mask leak, per my cpap software.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to get a "free" fitting from a DME? Just 'do it' and don't order from them, and then place an order at cpap.com? Maybe I should try calling the sleep lab?

I've reconciled to the fact that I’ll be purchasing my cpap supplies ‘out of pocket’. So that isn't a problem....

Thanks for your opinions!

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:57 pm

I would consider buying that one mask from the person who took time and trouble to fit me with it.

Buy the other stuff where its cheaper.

Or buy two masks for the price of one without being fitted.

O.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:38 am

IndyJudy - what a moronic question. It's because of people like you many offline companies hate internet retailers. You're probably the type of person that wears a dress once then returns it to Wal-Mart the next day.

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:57 am

That post was rather rude!

There is a basic fitting guide on Cpap.com.
They tell you what to measure and then suggest the masks that might work for you. I don't know how accurate it is because it has suggested a couple of masks that should fit me and and don't. Then again a couple of the masks I do have that were suggested do fit.

Masks are so very hard to fit because of little differences in everyones facial features.
Good Luck

KansasRT · Post by **KansasRT** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:04 am

I work in a local DME and I owned a retail music store for a while. And your post is exactly like what is wrong with America today. Everybody wants something for free. The Local DME has to pay to turn on lights and have a store and pay the RT that can do the mask fittings. They also have to purchase the masks they let you put on to fit. And you want to use their services for free? Why do they owe you a mask fitting. Try the sleep lab maybe they will do it, but that is still not fair. I don't ever turn anyone away, but it really burns me when I know what someone is doing. I am not saying that I never buy anything on the internet, but I buy local when I can. Take a minute and re-read your post and look at it from a local retailer's eyes. (Not just DME any business)

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:56 am

What the DME's charge and what the insurance actually pays is two different things. The DME's can charge what they want but the insurance will only pay up to a certain amount. It could be that your local DME wasn't out of line as much as what you think.

I used Lincare (I know some of you have had nightmares with them) to obtain my M series Apap. They worked with me to get it purchased instead of on rental and it only ended up being very reasonable -- cheaper than I could have gotten it on line.

I haven't purchased but two masks from the local DME and have purchased the rest from cpapauction. I have gotten them at a reasonable price and have taken the chance that they will fit. Some of them don't and at some point I will trade or resell the ones that don't. I have still came out ahead on the masks due to the cost factor and insurance only paying for one every 6 months. I have found some masks that I use and am really happy with. I have been getting great therapy with them.

I do agree with KansasRT that they provide a service and should be paid for that service. They have overhead and costs associated with having their doors open. Granted there are some bad DME"s out there (I have encountered one and fired them) but they are NOT all bad. In my experience they have someone on call 24/7 that is suppose to help you if needed (not sure how true that actually is but our local DME's have someone on call). Ultimately the consumer must pay for this service otherwise the DME"s couldn't stay in business.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:12 am

I think the key words here are "getting them to work with you". I would rather get things from a local DME but there are some that just tell you "thats not the way we do it" or "we don't handle that" and you are stuck. I have had two like this and had about given up. Talked to a third one that really sounds promicing. We are not trying to be difficult and my insurance will pay better than I can purchase out of pocket. It is just that we don't want to be treated like mushrooms.

Jerry

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:18 am

I think that the relevant point I've seen is that it doesn't seem at all reasonable to accept help from a business in order to select a product and then turn around and purchase it elsewhere - imho

Mindy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:00 am

not reasonable? It's plain LOW CLASS! Period. Who cares whether you have insurance or not. You have a car payment? You can afford to pay for your own health insurance. Maybe give up the car and take the bus.

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:12 am

Anonymous wrote:IndyJudy - what a moronic question. It's because of people like you many offline companies hate internet retailers. You're probably the type of person that wears a dress once then returns it to Wal-Mart the next day.

Eh, tactful.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:28 am

who says you have to be tactful? Sometimes the truth needs to be told in a way people can understand.

Mile High Sleeper · Post by **Mile High Sleeper** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:44 am

Maybe IndyJudy's idea isn't that unreasonable?

The large national DME on my (former) insurance charged such huge amounts for machine, mask, replacement hoses, replacement filters, DC power cord, that I figured there would be a little wiggle room for a "free" mask fitting since it was already "prepaid" by their high charges. They did a poor initial machine orientation and almost no follow-up with me, set the machine up to give only half a night's treatment, and later sent the wrong mask.

I never used them for a mask fitting, beyond the first mask, because their idea of a fitting was to fit it while sitting up. In addition, their mask selection and information on treatment was very poor. They couldn't even answer simple questions about how to effectively eliminate rainout and had never heard of aerophagia. Their procedures were horrible and they did not have an ability to function effectively.

In sharp contract is the local hospital sleep lab, which knows how bad the DME is, and to counteract that first offered free mask fittings, then charged for them, and now will do a fitting and selling the mask, matching online prices. They have an excellent selection of masks. Another local hospital sleep lab also does free mask fittings as a service to the community. My suggestion is to check out local hospital sleep labs. If they offer AWAKE groups, that may be a good place to begin.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:55 am

Anonymous wrote:who says you have to be tactful? Sometimes the truth needs to be told in a way people can understand.

The truth is that I have never seen "thedean" Guest post a useful post on this forum and always attempts to discourage forum newbies from taking control of their treatment with fear tactics ... tactfulness ... or rather tactlessness, yea that's it! understand that!

Then of course "the customer is always right" paradigm seems to have been lost to time

Nonetheless, the initial poster did show a lack of tact in her post too ... oh well.

ablong · Post by **ablong** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:01 pm

Well said Dreamstalker.
I think you hit the nail on the head.......

Allen

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:17 pm

There's no point in arguing with someone who feels "it's just not right" to obtain goods or services in a particular manner. But to castigate someone else for looking out for their own financial interest at the expense of any business is to deny the basis of our capitalist, competitive economy. Feel sorry for the high-priced business owner if you please, but he'll not feel bad about charging you the most the market will bear. If he can't (or won't) compete, his days in business are numbered and rightly so.