ok for dme to give me used cpap machine?

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:43 pm

Also, I'm in Bellingham, Washington, so my postings aren't as late at night as they appear!

Darth Vader Look · Post by **Darth Vader Look** » Tue May 02, 2006 1:12 am

Good for you Woozle. So if we are keeping score:

Woozle - 2 Evil DME - 0 .

beneyw · Post by **beneyw** » Tue May 02, 2006 4:08 am

How interesting this thread is. My first night I noticed a number on the machine stated 430 +- indicating a used machine. I see the doc next week and will nail the DME and his whole shoddy operation. The DME advised me 'do not purchase the machine when Medicare asks since I won't be able to service it for you.' First off, I would NEVER buy any medical equipment unless I was 100% sure it was new. It is his entire attitude, pleasant at first but the minute I had problems with improper mask fitting, I saw him to be irritating and rude, not compatible with patient care.

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Tue May 02, 2006 7:23 pm

If your DME gave you a used machine and billed your insurance for a used one, it is fraud and should be reporterd to your insurance. If they gave you a used machine and billed appropriately, you may not have much recourse, especially if the unit meets your doc's treatment specs. Start by caling your plan's member services and saying that you would like to know what was billed to them, because you did NOT receive a new unit. It's best to approach it as "possible" rather than "certain" fraud. It's up to them to find out once you have reported.

Reporting a possible fraud places the health plan under legal obligation to investigate, and inform you of the results. Violations of the fraud laws can put a provider out of business. Do not be passive about this. We all pay if this bilge goes uninvestigated.

Interesting questions though. How does a used machine get valued? Does 200 hours of use constitute much depreciation? What if anthing is done to clean a used machine and make it fit for resale?