Cpap Transfer

[Black8]

I am dealing with the WORST company in the world, Apria Healthcare in transferring my cpap supplies from At Home Medical to Apria Healthcare. I thought those companies in India were bad until I had to deal with Apria. I started in 1st week of Sept when I fould out AT Home could no longer supply my cpap needs. I called Apria and left all information asked for. 1 week later, and no one returned my call. I call again and after 2 attempts finally get someone to tell me what I need to do. I do as instructed and get all info from At Home and fax it to Apria. My Doctor faxes all clinical info to Apria. I wait, no response. I call again and after about a total of 1-2 hrs on hold, get to a person. They tell me they will "review your file and get back to you". How stupid of me to beleive that crap. Another week goes by and I call again with 1/2 - 1 hr wait time and have someone tell me they "didn't get any files". Of course I have my confirmation of completion, but that doesn't matter. Call my primary and have them re-fax the needed paperwork. I also re-fax the needed paper work. Of course no one calls back to confirm anything even after they tell me "I'll call you back in 1/2 hr or so". Of course, no call back. Call AGAIN and wait the usual 1/2 hr or so and get a guy, Kenneth Haug who tells me he will review the case with his supervisor and get back to me whith in a 1/2 or so. I give him home and cell phone and told him he could reach me on cell if I am not at home location. I wait 1 hr and no call back. Have to leave. Next day, message on home phone saying they tried to reach me and to call them. Why didn't these jerks call my cell phone after they request it as back up? I go thru the 1/2 wait on hold crap again and get a girl who has no clue as to what she is doing. She turns me over to "Leslie" whop call the night before. Leslie tells me I need a FF note from Primary faxed to them and that will clear everything up. She also gives me a direct line to her. HAHAHA What a joke. I call Primary immediately and they fax requested info needed. I tried to call Leslie back as per our conversation and of course phone just rings and rings. It rang for 1/2 hr. No voice mail? What kind of garbage company is this. I try her # at least 3 times and same thing. Rings and rings with no answer. I call Apria again and ask them what is status of my file? They say, "we are waiting on the facetoface note from your Doctor.WTF? It was sent 1 hr ago and nurse has completed confirmation. I call Primary again and they say "they got it because they faxed us for additional info and we re sent everything AGAIN". Just got off the phone again with one of those ace reps from Apria who told me that they needed the FF notes. I told her that they were sent two times and could someone please check to see if it was received. She said she would transfer me. She did, right to intial message which I started out with over a month ago. This company is without a doubt the WORST company I have EVE dealt with. NO ONE knows WTF is going on and NO ONE knows the meaning of the word "CUSTOMER SERVICE, A real POS out fit. Sorry vent, but it has been 5 weeks of constant crap from this company......

[oak]

so sorry to hear you are going through this. are you on Medicare and is the transfer due to competitive bidding? do you have any alternatives to Apria? I think someone mentioned that CPAP Care Club is a competitive bidder and that they were good to deal with. If you are privately insured, call your insurance company and ask for in network providers--you shouldn't have to put up with that kind of CRAP.

[jlmoorekcmo]

Sorry, you are having so much trouble. Do they not have a local office you can walk the paperwork into or call?

[LSAT]

IF you are getting the supplies mailed to you vs personal pick up, you can order from anyone in the country. You don't need Apria.

[Goofproof]

I'm lucky, I use Lindontcare. I deal with Peggy, he does really good! Jim

[idamtnboy]

I'm lucky, I use Lindontcare. I deal with Peggy, he does really good! Jim

Peggy? He?

[Goofproof]

I'm lucky, I use Lindontcare. I deal with Peggy, he does really good! Jim

Peggy? He?

Yes, Peggy is a winner, He's always ready to please, or he will call his suppervisior. Funny they both sound the same on the phone.

[Sheriff Buford]

Welcome to "our world" of dealing with the DME. We often get a good laugh when someone on the Forum tries to defend DME's. I use Apria. They have just started an "automatic" re-supply program that so far.... *as soon as I say this... they'll go south on me... just watch*!! .... seems to work. I tell them what I want and they give it to me. No questions and no expectations. Hope you can get it straightened out.

Sheriff

[LSAT]

I'm lucky, I use Lindontcare. I deal with Peggy, he does really good! Jim

Peggy? He?

Yes, Peggy is a winner, He's always ready to please, or he will call his suppervisior. Funny they both sound the same on the phone.

I remember "Peggy".................

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Aih ... =yfp-t-900

[49er]

For you Peggy fans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8L2cI8brzQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxl7-HNDaeg

49er

[Black8]

As of the 4 of Sept, was told EVERYTHING as requested is in my file. I was told it will take about a week to review and setup the replacement supplies delivery. I was ASSURED it would be a week at the most as they have EVERYTHING they need to comply with Medicare rules. They do have a local office, but trying to get anyplace there is just as bad as over the phone. And over the phone is better for me because if it was in person at their local office, I would no doubt lose my cool and wind up destroying the place. We shall see what happens this week. Thanks for all the replies.

[Janknitz]

I've heard (haven't confirmed the truth of this) that if you are in the capped rental period for your machine with a vendor who didn't win the competitive bid you can ask to be "grandfathered in" with the old DME until your capped rental period is up. After that, you're stuck with a competitive bid winner for supplies and maintenance (I'm not sure how the maintenance works, because the competitive bidder didn't make the "maintenance money" up front from your rental in the first place).

Call your local SHIP/HICAP office (number is on the back of your "Medicare and You" book or available from MEDICARE.GOV for free assistance with the possibility of "grandfathering in" your old DME.

[hueyville]

Guess I am lucky. There are four local DME offices within a mile of our local hospital. I have BC/BS PPO insurance. Everytime I need anything my doctor writes an order, hands it to me like any other perscription and I take it to the vendor of my choice. Tbey either hand me what I need or have it drop shipped next day to my door. They bill insurance directly and in the ~2.5 years I have been on cpap therapy I have only had one order where there was any out of pocket and that was due to purchasing an upgraded machine my doctor recomended in the month of January before my yearly copay had been met and I had to pay 20% of the machine price. Since then they have paid for all supplies, doctors visits and sleep lab visits. One caveat is that I bought the best plan available 27 years ago and it is now over 2k per month for just the wife and I. But over the life of the policy we have not had anything rejected even when an orthopod had to be brought in from another state to reassemble my leg after a motorcycle accident. My primary requested this guy and 36 hours later he was sawing and hammering. Informed this year thag my plan is no longer allowed by government and if maks any change have go into Obama approved plan.

[Black8]

Just an update. Apria is without a doubt the WORST company to deal with. They have absolute jerks working there. Today I called to see if and when my supplies would be shipped. I was told my required documents were not complete. WTF? Last week I was told everything was good to go. Last week a rep from their crappy company talked directly to my sleep doc and told them EXACTLY what was needed. They needed a FF note from prior to sleep study saying why I was sent for sleep study. DUH? Maybe because I wasn't sleeping? Original note from 2009 did not use all the sleep study words, just that I was having problems sleeping. It did not state obstructive etc etc sleep problems. Original note was edited and faxed to Apria as requested. Faced twice because they gave wrong fax # to nurse. Their rep called me back to confrim that all paperwork was received and they would be calling me prior to shipping supplies. I talked to a supervisor today and the 1st thing she said " was you do not have all the documentation needed for Medicare to pay for supplies." WTF? This after about 70 pages of documentation faxed to them in Kansas and local office TWICE, at least 2 -3 hrs or more on hold, talking to at least 7-10 different people, being told 7-10 different things including being told twice, "We have all the documents needed"and 6 weeks of total frustration and disgust. And also being told numerous times, "we will call you back in an hour or so". And how about a Apria comppany rep that syas " here is my direct line, call me in about an 1 hr. Dial the line and ring, ring, ring, ring. Dialed at least 10 times and no answer and no voice mail etc. More Apris BS! I am at point of throwing Cpap machine and all the rest of the junk in the garbage. I lived years without this crap and will bet I will live more years without it.
I was told today, if I wanted supplies, best way was to give them credit card and pay directly for my supplies. In oterowrds, we don't want to deal with Medicare and other insurance copies. We just want your credit card #. WTF is with people and a company like this? Those "computer help" places in India are run better than this company and its customer service.

[oak]

Why dont you switch to another competetive bid DME? At this point I would think you have nothing to lose...