Medicare and Lincare Charges

[bbf]

My mom started on cpap in November. She only has Medicare and is using Lincare as a DME. So far she has not received any bills from Lincare for the machine or the mask. Does that sound right? She is frustrated by Lincare because they never call her back and have not followed up with replacement supplies. On the other hand, they are not billing her......

She was thinking about switching to Apria, but after reading about recent crapia issues, looking at Walgreens. Any experience with Walgreens?

[Janknitz]

Unless she is on a Medicare Advantage program she should at least be getting "Explanations of Benefits" (EOBs) from Medicare, I think.

[squid13]

Does your mother have a supplemental insurance to pay for the difference that Medicare doesn't pay? If not she should be getting billed for that difference cause Medicare does not pay 100% percent of it. If she has supplemental insurance then Medicare is forwarding the balance to her supplemental insurance and there paying the difference. You should be getting EOB's from Medicare and your supplemental.

[MagsterMile]

First of all I have a new Medicare Advantage Plan. I had to switch to a new DME 1st of yr due to bidding war, etc. My experience with the new DME as follows:
They billed $95.00 for a Quattro Air Cushion. My insurance only paid about $52.00. It ended up being 80% of the maximum charge payable which I believe is roughly $65.00 for a cushion per Ins. Co. I was billed by the DME for the balance-approx. $12.00. The host of this forum charges about $54.00 for a Quattro Air Cushion. First of all: why would the DME bill $95.00 for the cushion? IMO, they are making a profit somewhere above and beyond the $52.00 Insurance paid them Plus the $12.00 I paid. I asked DME why are you billing $95.00 for the cushion and my ins. co. will only pay up to $65.00? Got a non-answer from the DME to the effect that what I am being billed 'will be adjusted'.

As a side note: I was able to use Walgreens last year with the then current Med Advtage insurer and had no problems with quality or billing with them. I thought their pricing was very fair. I wish I could still get my supplies from them.