Switching DMEs (yet again) .. this time Apria :( Any info?

[kayfouroh]

Before I get to deal with Apria, I was wondering if anyone has anything I need to know before I get to deal with Apria? My employer switched insurance companies to Cigna who only deals with Apria (through an intake company called CareCentrix), so not only do I have to give up my S9 Elite, I have to play the game yet again to try to get a data capable machine through Apria. I've heard some okay stories and some bad stories about Apria, but I was wondering if anyone recently had any dealings with Apria and could let me know what I'm in for.

Thanks

[LSAT]

Why would you have to give up the S9? How long have you had it?

[kayfouroh]

Since July, so way below the rental->purchase period, unfortunately. My current DME does not take Cigna. I spoke to them directly and they said to find a new DME, then return the S9.

[LSAT]

Please check this out...YOU MAY ALREADY OWN THE HUMIDIFIER. Usually this is purchased outright the first month. Don't let them take this back!!!

[Janknitz]

Ask your doctor to rewrite your RX to specify the ResMed S9 elite and write "dispense as written" on the RX. That should forestall any issues with Crapria.

[wolftracker]

With My insurance and My Sleep Doctor
He wrote my RX for a APAP 10-14 data capable
and the specific make and model of machine.

Apria gave it to me as written.

So make sure your sleep doctor is specific
and include the as written statement

and get a copy of the RX for yourself to make sure
you know what is says

my .02

wolf

[Sheriff Buford]

I have Cigna, and was switched to Apria several months back. After getting my S9 autoset (I had a S8 escape... truly a brick, but a good backup) from Apria, I now only deal with them when I reorder supplies. I found that to reorder supplies, you need to call the national office, because that is where your supplies will come from anyway. Calling the local Apria will only add a layer of middle-man. The national number is 1-800-310-3363.

Look at my mug.... I can get anything I want. I have to constantly fight off the women too....

Sheriff

[archangle]

Call up the old company and ask them how much they'll sell you the old, now used machine for on a cash basis, no insurance. It might work, might not, depending on the bureaucracy level of the company involved.

If they give you a ridiculous number, ask them, "yeah right, that's the list price. How much will you really take?"

[Kairosgrammy]

I take it that you don't like Apria. I've been through the changing insurance but not with cpap. It was a lot of fun. All of sudden, the doc you'd been seeing was out of network. That happened and I had an ob/gyn I liked so I just paid the difference. He actually was pretty stand up. When he did my hysterectomy, he waited til everyone claimed theirs than sent his in and took what he got without charging me the difference.

Ask your doctor to rewrite your RX to specify the ResMed S9 elite and write "dispense as written" on the RX. That should forestall any issues with Crapria.

[Lizistired]

I have Cigna, and was switched to Apria several months back. After getting my S9 autoset (I had a S8 escape... truly a brick, but a good backup) from Apria, I now only deal with them when I reorder supplies. I found that to reorder supplies, you need to call the national office, because that is where your supplies will come from anyway. Calling the local Apria will only add a layer of middle-man. The national number is 1-800-310-3363.

Look at my mug.... I can get anything I want. I have to constantly fight off the women too....

Sheriff

Thanks for the number. If I don't talk to a specific person locally, it doesn't happen, and even then I don't always get what I ordered. Not a huge deal but I wold just as soon skip them.

[Kitatonic]

If you can, use the national# as they are very responsive and knowledgeable. I was only able to order from them initially. Somehow, now due to my Healthnet PPO/HMO plan, I can only order from the local office with layers of people and multiple phone calls. Still it pays to preserve, as eventually the supply order comes.

[cowlypso]

Call up the old company and ask them how much they'll sell you the old, now used machine for on a cash basis, no insurance. It might work, might not, depending on the bureaucracy level of the company involved.

Definitely try that, if you don't want to have to deal with the rental anymore. I was changing insurance companies and for a while wasn't sure if my new company would cover the CPAP at all. I asked the DME, and they said that if I needed to, while I was still under the old insurance, they'd be able to sell it to me for the remainder of the insurance payoff price. So, if the negotiated price with my insurance was $600, and I was 4 months into the 12 month rental (meaning that $200 had already been paid off), then I would have been able to purchase it for $400.

[archangle]

Definitely try that, if you don't want to have to deal with the rental anymore. I was changing insurance companies and for a while wasn't sure if my new company would cover the CPAP at all. I asked the DME, and they said that if I needed to, while I was still under the old insurance, they'd be able to sell it to me for the remainder of the insurance payoff price. So, if the negotiated price with my insurance was $600, and I was 4 months into the 12 month rental (meaning that $200 had already been paid off), then I would have been able to purchase it for $400.

Be sure and try to talk to the local guys if possible. Maybe start with the local manager. Tell him how unhappy you are to have to stop using their excellent service and ask if there's any way they can be in your new policy. After making them feel good, maybe you can see if they'll work out a "sale" deal for your "used" machine.

[kayfouroh]

I just got back from Apria and now I feel completely cheated. When setting up the appointment, I requested a machine capable of recording AHI, leaks, etc. and was told OK, the machine will do that. I ended up getting the PRS1 DS250 -- after being told multiple times it could record data and show me the data I was requesting to see, as well as it being comparable to my S9 Elite, I took it and just got home and did my research. I am going to call the manager on Monday and complain that I was flat out lied to.

[bdp522]

I've been using apria since I started, almost 6 years now. In all this time they only got 1 order correct the first time. When my new S9 auto was deliverd it was left on the doorstep when I wasn't home, no signature required! To get filters I have to call every month and request them, they send 2 at a time, and it takes at least 2 weeks for them to get here, UPS and signature required! The filters are 'special order' as are most masks. The want to send you everything you qualify for even if you don't need it. They want to send me a new hose every month,(I use the aussie heated hose), they want to send entire masks instead of just new cushions or pillows(takes at least 2phone calls from them to get them to send just the pillows or cushion). Keep in mind that whatever they send wil probably be wrong so you have to send it back(make them send a call tag) this could mean it will take a couple of weeks or more to get what you actually need. Apria is my only choice for DME so I tolerate them, but when I can afford to or can't wait for weeks, I order from cpap.com, never a problem and super quick delivery.

Brenda