DME

[Al N]

I walked into a local DME, not the one I use, just to look at chin straps in person and compare prices. I found the one I had been thinking about getting and was surprised that the price they said the would sell it to me for was actually a couple dollars cheaper than online. The other uprise came when they refused to sell me one without a prescription. I would understand if I wanted them to bill insurance but I was going to pay cash. I just can't understand why you need doctors orders to buy a little fabric and Velcro. Oh well I need to order some things anyway from my regular DME I'll try to pick one up there or have them order it.

[cosmo]

So what is the name of this prescription needed chinstrap? Must be good or something

They're probably giving these away at cost so they can fish for your medical info.

[Al N]

No just a cheap chin strap 14 dollars and some change. I think they just weren't interested in my business since that's all I wanted to buy. The one guy I talked to did say that it was just barely over cost. They definitely will never have my business. I also asked about the new tap pap mask and he said he wouldn't carry it and wouldn't be ordering it for anyone. He said since it wasn't from one of his suppliers it was junk and probably wouldn't help 20% of people that tried it. I guess those 20 % don't matter

[Pugsy]

You don't need doctor's orders to buy a chin strap.

Probably what you encountered was a general overall house policy requiring RX and the person either didn't have the authority to use some common sense or was just a plain idiot....
Brick and mortar DMEs often set their own house rules for anything they want to. They don't often make any good sense.
Like the mask swapping thing being limited by your insurance or something stupid when in reality it is their laziness.

[Al N]

You don't need doctor's orders to buy a chin strap.

Probably what you encountered was a general overall house policy requiring RX and the person either didn't have the authority to use some common sense or was just a plain idiot....
Brick and mortar DMEs often set their own house rules for anything they want to. They don't often make any good sense.
Like the mask swapping thing being limited by your insurance or something stupid when in reality it is their laziness.

That's what I figured I was just killing time more than anything.
My normal DME s in another town and was comparing prices. There was little or no markup on the chinstrap there so I'm a little curios now as to what my DME would charge for the same product.

[archangle]

It's the medical mafia. The doctors want a cut of the business, so a DME who sold anything without the blessing of a doctor and a chance for the doctor to bill the patient for another office visit would be looked down on and not get referrals.

Also, it's easier to just require a prescription for everything rather than leaving it to the employees to figure out what requires a prescription legally, what requires a prescription for insurance reimbursement, etc. Plus getting a prescription probably makes it more likely you'll go back to them later.

[khauser]

It's the medical mafia. The doctors want a cut of the business, so a DME who sold anything without the blessing of a doctor and a chance for the doctor to bill the patient for another office visit would be looked down on and not get referrals.

Also, it's easier to just require a prescription for everything rather than leaving it to the employees to figure out what requires a prescription legally, what requires a prescription for insurance reimbursement, etc. Plus getting a prescription probably makes it more likely you'll go back to them later.

Hard for me to tell if your joking or not, but given that prescriptions are valid for life, I think that can't be true. I assure you my doctor makes NOTHING from the need to send that damn prescription everywhere (I finally got my own copy).

But I agree that the policy is just a way to make it easier for them, AND encourages people to use only the one DME.

-Kevin

[MagsterMile]

In looking over my copy of my RX, I see that they checked off box A7036 - Chinstrap. There are 11 boxes for items on the Rx for equipment. All of them are checked.

[akcpapguy]

A couple of years ago our company (upon the insistence of a client who questioned the rule) requested verification from the FDA regarding the requirement of a prescription for a chin strap. I do not recall the document number but the FDA referenced a 2005 ruling regarding prescription requirements. In short the ruling stated that a supplier must obtain a prescription for any accessories used to administer therapy with a device that requires a prescription to dispense. So in the case of a PAP device this would include a chin strap. Sorry I can’t be more specific about the exact ruling number or document. For what it’s worth it took nearly 10 months for the FDA to respond to our inquiry.

[chunkyfrog]

Time to stock up on Pad-a cheek, oximeters, and blue tape!

[Cavmdc]

There s a good Rx form on cpap.com you can use.

It covers everything. Get it signed and keep a copy. You can fax it or email it for on line purchase or hand carry for in store purchases.

It just makes life easier or you.

Also, when you travel, it helps to have a copy in case you break something and need a quick replacement.

Greg

[cosmo]

Time to stock up on Pad-a cheek, oximeters, and blue tape!

& distilled water....

/ducks away

[StuUnderPressure]

There s a good Rx form on cpap.com you can use.Greg

It is at http://c0149421.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspac ... on-LMN.pdf

[Catalytic]

Hard for me to tell if your joking or not, but given that prescriptions are valid for life, I think that can't be true. I assure you my doctor makes NOTHING from the need to send that damn prescription everywhere (I finally got my own copy).

I'm trying to figure out why a lifetime prescription is only valid for 99 months. If my math is correct, that's only eight years and three months...I certainly hope I live a lot longer than that from yesterday! Doc wrote LON: 99 months on my script, and I see on the CPAP.com script it says lifetime and has (99 months)...very odd. Probably yet another crazy FDA rule, sigh.

[archangle]

Hard for me to tell if your joking or not, but given that prescriptions are valid for life, I think that can't be true. I assure you my doctor makes NOTHING from the need to send that damn prescription everywhere (I finally got my own copy).

But I agree that the policy is just a way to make it easier for them, AND encourages people to use only the one DME.

-Kevin

Not necessarily true about "lifetime." Lots of people here have reported getting "valid for one year" prescriptions for CPAP and have even been told that they are only allowed to be done for one year. It may be just a lie, or it may vary from state to state. It's getting to be very common for many things these days. My eye doctor started pulling that scam on his patients several years ago with "good for one year" eyeglass prescriptions.

Of course, if it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go check for yourself.

Your doctor may get something from it. If you don't come in for regular CPAP followup visits and tests, you may very well find he won't send a prescription unless you come in for a visit, and maybe a $leep $tudy. Lots of doctors use that as a way to charge you for an extra visit and maybe some tests every so often or you can't get your blood pressure medicine or other meds you need long term.