Does Kaiser's Medicare contract with Apria include Bleep?

[zoomzoom]

As title says.

Yes, I am aware I can call, but they are currently closed and the last several times I called for PAP resupply, the hold times were so long!

I know Apria sells Bleep on their consumer side, but not sure about their Medicare/Kaiser side.

[Janknitz]

Kaiser has it's own "mask formulary" so the person to ask is the sleep tech at Kaiser (you can probably email them). And if you are getting it through Kaiser, whatever mask you want has to be in the prescription sent to Crapria, so if Bleep is on their formulary, ask them to change your RX.

Something to understand is that Kaiser is your DME, Crapria is merely the supplier. So Kaiser decides what you get, they send the order to Crapria to be filled. Crapria has no discretion to swap out one mask for another on their Kaiser contracted cases.

Watch your billing from Crapria. They were incorrect EVERY time when I got my stuff through them. I went through this whole process with Kaiser and Crapria to try to get bills straightened out--hours of my life I will never get back. They said they didn't make the error, Kaiser took their side, I was out of luck.

Six months later I got a check for the error in billing.

[chunkyfrog]

. . . "Six months later I got a check for the error in billing."

(Just in time to ink the next year's contracts?)

[Janknitz]

. . . "Six months later I got a check for the error in billing."

(Just in time to ink the next year's contracts?)

There's not much choice around here, any more. Kaiser covers about 80% of the insured people in this county, meaning there's very few private physicians, labs, etc. out there any more. And Kaiser's plan is more affordable than plans that would cover other providers.

As I head toward Medicare I'm going to have to decide if I stay with them or not. I know their problems, especially with seniors, but I also know what's "out there" and it's not any better any more. I'm intrigued by the "concierge" medicine model and may give it a try. But I understand the risks, too.

[zoomzoom]

Kaiser has it's own "mask formulary" so the person to ask is the sleep tech at Kaiser (you can probably email them). And if you are getting it through Kaiser, whatever mask you want has to be in the prescription sent to Crapria, so if Bleep is on their formulary, ask them to change your RX.

Something to understand is that Kaiser is your DME, Crapria is merely the supplier. So Kaiser decides what you get, they send the order to Crapria to be filled. Crapria has no discretion to swap out one mask for another on their Kaiser contracted cases.

Watch your billing from Crapria. They were incorrect EVERY time when I got my stuff through them. I went through this whole process with Kaiser and Crapria to try to get bills straightened out--hours of my life I will never get back. They said they didn't make the error, Kaiser took their side, I was out of luck.

Six months later I got a check for the error in billing.

Thanks, I will ask. Good to consider Kaiser as the DME. Crapria is a great name considering the hours I have spent on the phone with them correcting errors in sending out the wrong equipment and billing me the wrong price!

[Janknitz]

Thanks, I will ask. Good to consider Kaiser as the DME. Crapria is a great name considering the hours I have spent on the phone with them correcting errors in sending out the wrong equipment and billing me the wrong price!

Yup. Crapria is a name well-deserved.