What value does a DME provide?

[archangle]

Sometimes it pays to give them a diabetic coma. Be unfailingly friendly and polite, but don't take no for an answer. Pretend that you can't fathom the idea that they're not going to do the right thing. Talk to the first salesdroid, then when they can't fix the problem, talk to the next person, acting like you hate to bother them, but the first person obviously didn't understand the situation or they would have helped you and you're sure the second person will get everything straightened out right away.

[MidnightOwl]

In addition to the support that they may or may not provide and the service of hassling with your insurer for you (not insignificant) you are paying for a kind of insurance. If you end up not using CPAP either because you just can't tolerate it or because you need a different kind of treatment - say a bipap, ASV or even rarely a ventilator - you aren't stuck with the entire purchase cost of the cpap. You, or rather your insurer, only pay a few months rental. $400 to buy a cpap online may seem cheap to you but it wouldn't seem like that good a deal if a month later you had to spend even more for a bipap, a few months later an ASV, etc.

[grahasc]

Thanks everyone for your input and advice.

[Mary Z]

I have a particular tech at my DME that has been a trememdous resource for me. He helped me find the right mask, He helped me fine tune machine settings when I was finding breathing with the machine to be uncomfortable. When I had a problem with my humidifier he was here the same night with a new one. They respond to the doctors orders quickly ( a different machine, overnight oximetry). He has helped me with numerous questions, respects my knowledge base and desire to understand and personally be responsible for my therapy. My DME gets supplies to me quickly when I order them. I had only one problem- with their every three month automated call system to order supplies. A phone call quickly cleared that up. I in turn pay them promptly.

[Mr Bill]

My DME was super helpful. He had never set up an ASV machine before but he was right there learning along with me and really helped me out during those first few months. My DME specializes in respiratory equipment only. I don't know that much about the parent company, Preferred Home Care, but the local staff are just super.

[pratzert]

Whether a DME provides any values depends on which DME you have.

Some are Good and some are Bad. The Good aden Bad can even vary within the same company depending on your local office.

DME's "should" be concerned with YOUR health, but many seem to be only interested in the health of their balance sheet and profit margin and the problem is that it comes at the expense of patient care.

Often times they render detrimental care by reusing to provide the equipment that your Doctor prescribes.

One, in particular in "My Opinion" is the worst of the worst and is called "Apria", aka "Crapria".

Do some google searches on DME providers and you will read many stories of patient experiences with their DME's.

Some are good but many are very, very, very bad.

In my own experience with Crapria, it has been overwhelmingly BAD.

My experience with them in getting my CPAP machine was so terrible, I ended up paying for my own machine.

They have never provided any "value" to my therapy equation.

If you're looking for "value" remain a member of this forum and read all the extensive information provided by fellow Apnea sufferers. The members here have been the most "Valuable" thing I have ever seen.

[Purrceyz]

Guys, it's not just the American medical system, we have DMEs in Canada too.

Although our provincial health care plan pays for the sleep doctor & studies; to my knowledge here (Ontario) your insurance company (through employers or employee's spouse) pays for the machine, mask etc. (You can get some money through the Assistive Device Program - up to 75% unless you are on social assistance then it will be 100%. However they will only very bare bones basic machine that won't be data capable (even then you're *still* dealing with a DME to get it.))


Although I used a DME initially when I started on CPAP in early 2008 (my husband had insurance through work then). They were helpful for mask fitting and helping me with the initial adjustment. However, when I came time to replace the mask, I went to cpap.com where the masks are about 66-75% less than the masks from the DME. Since then, he doesn't have insurance, I order from cpap.com. (As do other people I know with OSA here.)


Personally, I think DMEs *can* be helpful for newbies sometimes (depending on the DME) but are of very limited use for others.

[purple]

A brick and Mortar DME is also supposed to provide service. I have met some really nice folks at several different DME's. Where I am at now I am like fifty sixty miles from my DME. When I stopped in a shop that is two blocks from my home, which is a licensed DME, the clerk said they did not know anything about sleep apnea, but they could order whatever I wanted, and provide it maybe two weeks.

I have a DME that is fifty-sixty miles from my home. I can call them on the phone and their Repiratory Tech will come to my house, into my bedroom where my machine is and make -doctor authorized- changes to the machine. If I have questions about how to do this or that more effectively, She has answers. Her regular job is working in a hospital full time getting people onto all kinds of machines, mostly vents. People who have serious health problems.

If I need a mask or something, the DME says, just call them, they will ship it next day post. If I do not have the money to pay, no problem, they will just bill me for it. Pay it when or if I can. I can not get credit through an internet seller of supplies. If my machine really croaked before noon, I believe they will bring me a new machine before sleep time that night. The big problem being find the doc to get the prescription, and they might not get it to my house before 8 or 9 o'clock. But one of them would do it. What would I pay in advance for that, nothing. They will eventually bill me.

Since I could not prove my Remstar Series M had a real problem, I bought a new PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine with A-Flex from cpap.com for about $650.00. (actually I bought some other things to.) My current DME, since it would be without insurance, said they sell me any machine they had for $1300.00 in advance (with prescription of course) and not one penny less for any of the machines. So my current DME is unhappy with me. So I will get another DME next week.

The other day their warehouse, unaware that I had bought a new machine from somewhere besides them, called me on the phone and wanted to ship me masks, filters, tubing, head sets. I suspect they would still be happy to deal with me on that basis, but the local people do not want to help with adjusting my new machine.

The real point to this is that the reason insurance companies, and Medicare which I have, require a brick and mortar DME is that people are more likely to make good use of their treatment if they have advice and hand holding a real DME is supposed to be providing.

A lot of folks here have found their DME that is like the one which is two blocks from my house who provides wheel chairs, hospital beds, oxygen and know nothing about sleep apnea. Still, there are good DME's out that.

I had to see a GP today, and he is furious with insurance companies, and claims that the MD's have explained to legislators the kind of rules which would reduce the cost of health care by getting rid of regulations, and allow them provide what he feels would be better health care while he makes money. And that soon the regulations may reduce his income to the point he will stop practicing medicine. I paid ten dollars for a Medicare co-pay, twenty percent of what his clinic will get. Even in my best guess, with a receptionist, a building, several nurses, he is seeing me out of both his contractual responsibility, but mostly out of the goodness of his heart. The same goes for my sleep doc, who also emphasized that I really can not afford my co-pay, not to worry he will still see me and help me, although he can not stop the clinic system from billing me.

While the GP does not think Obama Care is a good idea, as it will be a huge cash cow for insurance companies, who will donate money to politicians, it is likely to happen, unless the Courts rule against it in the suit which comes up in a few days.