lincare complaints

[Hrothgar]

I'm as new here as you can get but I'm pissed !!! 20 yrs.ago I was a victim of lincare ,it was crap then and now it's worse !!! Back then, they (Tulsa,Oklahoma, office) were great to begin with. Until something went wrong with my machine. I had to get the manfactuer to call them in order to get it repaired(them : There's nothing wrong with your machine.) They finally picked it up and "somebody(?)" fixed it. But ... they wouldn't deliver it back. Two months later, I finally felt like driving over there.Nobody but a secretary there. Of course she "knew nothing!". Two hours of waiting and nobody still there. I got pissed and began looking for it. Found it under a pile of dirt. Went home and wife and I stayed up till almost 2am. Went to bed and guess what ? Turned my machine on and ...... nothing, no air output period. So, I did as the RT had said, I called the 24 hr. number and they got in touch with the onduty person. Half hour later he calls, "I'm not going to get out in this rain storm (cats &dogs !!! LOL! ) And ... if I didn't like it I could just call his manager and complain. So ... I did. Got her call in about a 1/2 hr. and gave her an ear full. Twenty min. later, the call came, "how do I get to your home,SIR ?"
Last Friday ...
After a month, the person showed up. Got one machine, three masks ,none my size. Found I couldn't use the machine. There was NO instruction on its use. She was having trouble. When I refused to accept the equipment, and ask what other ones they had she said "Those are all we carry". She got her stuff thrown into bags and left. Slamming my door as she left. I called their "new" officwasn't there and she n Muskogee,Oklahoma. They didn't have a manager, no, she's not here either and the dumb bimbo was the only one who had my paperwork and could send it to me so I could go somewhere else. I'm making a personal appearance there tomorrow ....

[saltydawg2]

My wife's insurance company required a maintenance contract, as part of the purchase. When she was laid off, she continued to get bills from Lincare. She repeatedly told them that contract was through United Healthcare, she no longer had that insurance company, and was not required to keep it. Finally, after several months, and increasingly threatening phone calls, a billing supervisor told her machine had been paid off several months prior, she did not have to have maintenance contract, and no additional money was due. She hoped we would continue to use them for her medical equipment needs.

[Dr KM]

I became a CPAP customer of Lincare in late December, 2014. My initial contact with Lincare for mask fitting / machine set up was excellent. The one and only RT that Lincare had in their Grand Rapids, Michigan office resigned (out of frustration with management) about 10 days later. When I had questions about machine settings, mask fit, compliance, etc. after she left Lincare, I made multiple phone calls to try to get help. It usually took at least two calls before someone got back to me (5 - 10 days later) to try to offer advice. They were never honest with me that they had no local RT support even though I specifically asked about that. (Please note that I am an experienced ENT Surgeon who has referred many of my patients to Lincare and other local providers for their respiratory care needs.) The ONLY reason I chose Lincare for my personal needs is because one of my daughters, an RT, used to work for Lincare and knew how highly qualified the "last standing RT" at Lincare was. As mentioned before, she eventually succumbed to horrible management and resigned. During my short, 3 month experience with Lincare, I have had to call their regional billing office in Ohio to prove to them that I had promptly paid my bill upon receipt, only to be told "it's the Postal Service's problem, they are so slow!". It doesn't take 10 days for first class mail to go from Grand Rapids, Michigan to anywhere in Ohio even under the worst of conditions. It would appear that they hoard mail until it becomes "critical mass" before processing it (an attempt to cut manpower
and save a few bucks?) The final straw came 2 days ago (03/27/15) when I waited at home for 2 hours for an RT to show up and fit a different mask and headgear for me. The appointment had been made 2 weeks before hand and the RT asked if he could come to my home. I re-arranged my work day, rescheduling some of my patients so that I could fit in with Lincare's very abbreviated hours, and the RT never showed up. No phone call, email, text message, etc. to let me know that he was not coming or just running late. When I called to express my frustration and disappointment, the only person available to me was an operator at an answering service (likely out of state and totally disinterested in my medical dilemma)! Even after leaving a message with her, I still have never received any follow up communication from Lincare. At this point, I am working on a letter to send to the Medical Director of my health insurance company advising him of the horrible management and patient / customer service provided by Lincare. I will question why they would want to allow Lincare to be a "PAR" provider any longer. I have choices as to where to refer my patients and obtain my own care in the future. You can rest assured that Lincare will be permanently taken off my list. As soon as I find out what I have to do to switch respiratory supply providers, I will no longer be a patient / customer of Lincare myself. Save your time, money and patience. DO NOT USE LINCARE FOR YOUR RESPIRATORY CARE NEEDS! YOU HEARD THIS FROM AN EXPERIENCED, ENT MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL!

[SenecaSCindividual]

Yes, rude, don't assist, poor customer service compared to previous supplier of CPAP materials. They don't know customer service.
But if you can, pester them...everyone working there is lucky to just have a job even with a lousy service organization. No Help.

[Janknitz]

Dr KM, as a referral source, you actually have a chance of Lincare listening to you. As far as they are concerned, you (in your role as referring physician) are their "customer" and if they don't pay attention to you they do lose a referral source.

As for you the patient, they don't care one bit about your health and happiness. You are not really their customer--your insurer is and your referring physician is, but not you the patient. There are plenty more patients where you came from, they don't live or die on profit from you. But if you tell your ENT colleagues about your experiences and convince more doctors not to refer to them, then they may feel some pinch. Maybe you are part of a group practice and you can all stop referring to them.

So you--unlike most of us--have some power to let them know what they are doing wrong--and because they are going to lose your referrals they may even pay some attention to you. I doubt it will make a huge difference, but certainly more than if most of us complained. So write a well-reasoned letter about your experiences and send it to the local branch manager with a cc to the CEO of the company. And bill them for the time you spent home waiting for someone who never showed up.

[chunkyfrog]

I recommend these threads be read by DME managers--in their entirety;
as a condition of employment.

I just thought I might repeat this.

[reecie013301]

I worked for Lincare for several months. I am an experienced Administrative professional. I was hired on at 11.75hr and was told that was the most they paid their employees. A 19yr old with nothing but fast food experience was hired making 12.00 hr. In addition, I was forced to train that employee and others who made more money than me. There is no training. I worked 7 days a week to try to catch up the patient orders. There were patients without limbs waiting on their orders for years (literally). They won territories that they don't have the man power to provide service for. Some of the employees would throw the dme orders away because, they didn't want to do the work; offices would call all the time looking for orders; especially, McAllen Tx and San Antonio. It is very ghetto-employees, including the Mgr. Jennifer Cleveland, come to work in sweats, house shoes and clothes like they don't care about their appearance. The entire company is ran by a bunch of air head women who have the company almost in bankruptcy. The turn over is so bad that they will hire, church members, family, friends-a referral for anyone that can pass a drug test. Jennifer, the Mgr, hires all of her previous co-workers, friends at 12.00hr, when there are employees that have worked there for years and, can not make that much. *********BEWARE******** I wouldn't take this job unless I was desperate....

[Guest]

Lincare was selected by Medicare as a source for CPAP machines and supplies. Never has there been a more poorly operated company with so little reguard for the patients that Medicare put in their hands. There must have bee a sizeable kickback involved. This company allows patients (cutomers) to remain on hold for multiple periods of 30 minutes or more only to be told that their file has again been "screwed up by a previous Lincare employee who is not working there now"

I wonder how many people are in need of service and cannot get any customer services or any supplies from this joke of a company. How many times has this bad employee story been told. "We have to start your account all over again" another catch phrase these liars use to not help Medicare recipients. We have been waiting well over a year for supplies. No help no supplies and more self serving lies.

Medicare has many websites but none that I have found that would accept a compliant about a supplier like Lincare. This company should have never been given any exclusive rights be Medicare and should either do the job or get out of the way.

Is there a decent supplier for CPAP supplies that will help Medicare Patients or all they all as poorly run and so totally unaccountable as this company.

[chunkyfrog]

Apria is about the same. FYI

[SewTired]

Lincare was selected by Medicare as a source for CPAP machines and supplies. Never has there been a more poorly operated company with so little reguard for the patients that Medicare put in their hands. There must have bee a sizeable kickback involved. This company allows patients (cutomers) to remain on hold for multiple periods of 30 minutes or more only to be told that their file has again been "screwed up by a previous Lincare employee who is not working there now"

I wonder how many people are in need of service and cannot get any customer services or any supplies from this joke of a company. How many times has this bad employee story been told. "We have to start your account all over again" another catch phrase these liars use to not help Medicare recipients. We have been waiting well over a year for supplies. No help no supplies and more self serving lies.

Medicare has many websites but none that I have found that would accept a compliant about a supplier like Lincare. This company should have never been given any exclusive rights be Medicare and should either do the job or get out of the way.

Is there a decent supplier for CPAP supplies that will help Medicare Patients or all they all as poorly run and so totally unaccountable as this company.

Guest, since you didn't bother to register any help is rather useless. It took 7 seconds to find this link which allows you to specifically complain about your treatment by Lincare.
https://www.medicare.gov/claims-and-app ... lapse-4368
https://www.medicare.gov/Contacts/

You can also call 1-800-Medicare.

[Guest]

Just jumping on the bandwagon. Lincare is the worst 'business' I've EVER dealt with, bar none! They mess up the bills, won't answer the phones (you are forced to leave a message and _hope_ for a response). There is no way to check your account online; for crying out loud, this is the 21st century!!

Then they have the audacity to call and ask if they can send more stuff. NO THANKS!!! I will NEVER do further business with those bozo's.

[isabella mongoose]

Do not sign or buy anything from Lincare until you ask them if you will actually own it. They have a deal with United care that even if you pay for the machine you are forced to pay "insurance" regularly. You are not allowed to cancel it unless you return the machine that you already paid for!!! They are scammers! Do not trust anything they say!

[SewTired]

Do not sign or buy anything from Lincare until you ask them if you will actually own it. They have a deal with United care that even if you pay for the machine you are forced to pay "insurance" regularly. You are not allowed to cancel it unless you return the machine that you already paid for!!! They are scammers! Do not trust anything they say!

This is United Care that has caused your problem, not Lincare. I would suggest you contact your insurance company and demand help to fix your account. If they won't help, contact the Attorney General for your state and explain your problem briefly - they will direct you to the right area. In my state, once you own a machine, you are no longer obligated to keep maintenance payments to the provider, but can seek your own provider. You still own the machine. This could also be a scam between that office of Lincare and your local insurance company.

[Michael_Denney]

Nothing but problems dealing with LinCare. Hope never have to deal with them again.

[SunnyBeBe]

I have them too. Over time, it's gotten a little better, but, still.....