I'm so angry, we're being ripped off

[sleepyintucson]

I ordered the wrong tube from cpap.com so I tried to find a place locally, I couldn't wait any longer to get back on therapy. The tube that costs $10 on cpap.com they wanted to charge me $55!!! I just couldn't believe my ears, and that's the SELF PAY price. So what do they charge the insurance company if I had insurance??

This is the reason why insurance is so damn high, the insurance companies are being ripped off or they know what's going on and they're ripping US off with high insurance premiums or our employer.

I am just in shock. I didn't pay it of course but I'm in shock that this kind of thing goes on and noboby knows about it or nobody cares.

I knew they overcharged somewhat which is why I didn't buy my machine there in the first place, but I was made to believe there was some "magic" about fitting the mask so I felt compelled to buy my first mask there. Again, what a racket these guys got going.

Sorry just had to rant.

Joel Embry

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap.com

[akayplanter@yahoo.com]

I'm still angry that my health insurance won't cover my machine in 2003 and I was billed 1500.00 + for it - then I juat found this site and I see them for 700.00 - it makes me angry all over again

[CodeThought]

Times like this make me glad I have good insurance...

[RedThunder94]

wow, i had to buy an 8 foot hose from a mom and pop dme store here locally and only paid like 20 bucks which i thought wasn't too bad but dang 55 bucks? ouch!


btw, nice avatar codethought

[sleepyintucson]

Times like this make me glad I have good insurance...

Believe me, you're paying for it one way or another. If you don't pay anything, your employer is overpaying for every employee and that money could instead be paying you a higher salary or used to give more people jobs or go towards research and development or used for more advertising to get more business.

The point is, nothing is free and just because you don't pay directly for your insurance costs, you are paying indirectly somewhere, simple economics.

[snoregirl]

I am trying to avoid having a part that needs to be replaced quickly and having to overpay for it.

To do this I purchased a couple swift setups (since I really like the swift) from CPAP.com and a couple of spare parts like the short tubes that I thought had potential to get damaged.

I also did this to avoid the potential of increased prices in Sept if that happens on this site. I don't know how long the pillows will hold up just due to natural aging of the silicone, but the rest of the thing looks plastic and should have quite a shelf life.

The last thing I want to do is walk into a local DME and pay $55 for a tube. I would rather have a couple in my cabinet for the same $55.

[Goofproof]

[quote="snoregirl"]I am trying to avoid having a part that needs to be replaced quickly and having to overpay for it.

To do this I purchased a couple swift setups (since I really like the swift) from CPAP.com and a couple of spare parts like the short tubes that I thought had potential to get damaged.

I also did this to avoid the potential of increased prices in Sept if that happens on this site. I don't know how long the pillows will hold up just due to natural aging of the silicone, but the rest of the thing looks plastic and should have quite a shelf life.

The last thing I want to do is walk into a local DME and pay $55 for a tube. I would rather have a couple in my cabinet for the same $55.

[WNJ]

. . . So what do they charge the insurance company if I had insurance?? . . .

Probably about $25 or $30, if they were one of the insurance company’s “preferred providers.”

The insurance company gets a huge “discount” for steering its policyholders to the provider, and the provider is assured of actually getting paid (the insurance company share, at least) with no hassles.

The uninsured get charged a stiff premium because of the increased hassles, in many instances, for the provider to collect and the number of patients who, for one reason or another, will not/cannot pay. The uninsured are the one’s getting ripped off the most.

If you’re walking in and paying cash (no collection hassles for the provider), you get charged the $55, too. This enables the provider to honestly tell the insurance company that $55 is the price at which they regularly sell them; therefore, $25 or $30 is a big discount.

It’s a racket, for which we all ultimately pay.

Wayne

[roadwarrior]

Now you know why I've been ranting about DME's lately. Had the same thing happen. They can BITE ME AFAIAC..........DME's suck........PERIOD........now that I got that out have a nice day.

[Patrick A]

I know that this may sound funny but what would happen if we all boycotted companys like APRIA Healthcare or we complained to our Health Insurance companies about Fraud.

I am on Disability and every time that Apria can't get the Federal DOL to pay for something they bill my BC/BS FEHB ( I was a Federal employee)

Apria Billed my health insurance for a walker that I needed the to tune of $1680.00, my insurance sent me a letter saying that they were paying for it but I need to pay a deductable of $360.00 Not[/i
You should have heard my insurance when I told them that some of the Items Apria Health Care billed to my insurance was Federal Workers Comp.

I wonder if I could hook two hoses together so I could have 14 ft. of hose any ideas
When I use my cpap in my Motor home I need to have a long extension cord from the 12 volt dc plug. I think it would be better to have a longer hose so I could put the unit on the shelf instead of the floor. Or maybe I should just buy the battery pack for it made by the people that make my unit which is respironics.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): respironics, hose, CPAP

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): respironics, hose, CPAP