Good Mail Order DME?

[jencat824]

I've never had much trouble with my DME until today. I use Nationwide Medical, they are mail order, which I prefer. They wanted to give me a hard time when I told them to switch my order from the Swift LT to the new AirFit P10. Both are made by ResMed, so I don't see why it should have been a big deal, but apparently it is. I finally got them to agree to order my P10, but not without some work, going over some heads & a hour on the phone with them.

To put it bluntly, I'm pissed! I think they probably have the Swift LT in stock, perhaps they even have lots in stock because its an older mask. Not really my problem, they are my DME & I expect them to meet my needs, which in this case is the P10. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I've never had a problem with them before and I have what I thought were reasonable expectations. I told them the coding for a nasal mask is the same for any mask. They started with the line that my insurance wouldn't pay for THAT mask - HA! That didn't float, I told them that was bull & had to speak to a supervisor, then supervisor's manager. After going several rounds with them, they did agree a nasal mask is the same regardless of the type, so they agreed to order it for me.

Their attitude really set me off, so if I can find another good DME, I'll switch. I know I've recommended them on this forum before, but this (and a few other problems with my hubby's order) has made me re-think using them as my DME. Sorry if this sounds like a rant - I think it is.

Any suggestions?

Jen

[Julie]

Any reason you wouldn't use Cpap.com?

[JDS74]

I think the issue is a DME that accepts and files for insurance claims.
CPAP.COM, TheCPAPPeople, DirectHomedical among others don't.
I've used all three and they are all good suppliers but don't accept insurance or Medicare.

[jencat824]

I would love to use CPAP.com, but I want to use my insurance (for myself I have 3 ins & want to use them). I can't just pay the bill, UHC & Medicare won't take claims that way & with Aetna being my 3rd, they won't pay unless the other 2 pay 1st. Kind of complicated, but I want to use the benefits of the insurance I pay for. I am Googling to see what is available & plan to call several to see who might work best. Local DME's not really an option. Several closed after they didn't get the Medicare bid & the one's that are left I don't care for, one being Apria & other other being Lincare.

I've just called Americare - anyone heard of them? I just found them by Googling, so I'm reserving judgment until I see what they come back to me with. They have to check benefits & check their stock for our masks. They said if they don't have a mask in stock, all we would need to do is call 2 weeks before order is due & they can order that specific mask.

Who knows, I may get over my little 'fit' with Nationwide Medical, but right now I think they are overloaded, since they did win a Medicare bid for my area. If that's the case, anyone who won bids will likely be overloaded as well.

Julie - thanks for asking, when I order a mask that I DON'T intend to bill thru insurance, say I just want to try, or I want one 'between times', I do use CPAP.com. I also get all my aromatherapy supplies from CPAP.com as well. When I order aromatherapy, I usually get over the $100 worth at a time to get the free shipping, so I do spend money with our hosts, just not for everything I need.

[butterflygal]

Mayo Clinic's Sleep Apnea store in Rochester does mail order; I can send you my catalog or you can request one by calling toll-free 888-303-9354, 8-5 Central time. Ask for the Sleep Apnea Catalog, or, PM me with your address and I will send mine to you. I'll pick up another next time I'm dowtown. I don't do the mail order because I live here. It has the Medicare timeline for replacement supplies and that's why I keep one at home.

[butterflygal]

On second thought, it might be better to order directly, or if you do PM me, find one of my "library lady" posts and PM me from there. I'm having some serious login problems and this ID is on a site that is hard for me to use - library lady is what I'm trying to get back into, but it's mailbox I have easy access to.

[HerbM]

First: If you are NOT using insurance to buy your stuff then CPAP.com (our forum host) probably can't be beat.

These folks have good prices (maybe the best without insurance) and are great about keeping their word (heck, they SOLICIT returns if you have return insurance, even FREE return insurance -- the literally emailed me and encouraged me to use the free return if I wasn't happy. No, they cannot have the Airfit P10 back.)

Second: If your insurance company doesn't care where you buy your CPAP stuff (i.e., they pay the same) then CPAP.com MIGHT be the best or a good bet. One negative: They don't "do insurance" but only provide you the properly coded receipts for you to submit. I would have done this with my LAST insurance before ObamaCare made my insurance company of 20 years cancel. Symmetra didn't care how or where I was treated or obtained supplies, they paid their share without griping if we submitted the receipt.

Third: If you have an insurance company with a "network" you may pay considerably less by asking the insurance company for a list of suitable supplies.

Aetna, for instance, sent me to "Edge Park Medical" and they did handle the insurance and my co-pay was REALLY small no matter what mask I would have chosen: $19.95 even for the $200+ Resmed version of a hybrid.

So, it the insurance doesn't matter you should START with CPAP.com and insist that any other supplier do as well or better, with the understanding that CPAP.com will TAKE CARE OF YOUR REALLY WELL.

[jmrobert48]

Americarecpap does not accept Medicare, I tried a couple weeks ago.

[M'ohms]

I live in Georgetown, IN and carry United Healthcare Insurance. I use Louisville O2 and am very pleased with them. They mail me my supplies when I ask for them. They have always found a way to satisfy my requests. They are also preferred providers on my insurance.

[jencat824]

First: If you are NOT using insurance to buy your stuff then CPAP.com (our forum host) probably can't be beat.

These folks have good prices (maybe the best without insurance) and are great about keeping their word (heck, they SOLICIT returns if you have return insurance, even FREE return insurance -- the literally emailed me and encouraged me to use the free return if I wasn't happy. No, they cannot have the Airfit P10 back.)

Second: If your insurance company doesn't care where you buy your CPAP stuff (i.e., they pay the same) then CPAP.com MIGHT be the best or a good bet. One negative: They don't "do insurance" but only provide you the properly coded receipts for you to submit. I would have done this with my LAST insurance before ObamaCare made my insurance company of 20 years cancel. Symmetra didn't care how or where I was treated or obtained supplies, they paid their share without griping if we submitted the receipt.

Third: If you have an insurance company with a "network" you may pay considerably less by asking the insurance company for a list of suitable supplies.

Aetna, for instance, sent me to "Edge Park Medical" and they did handle the insurance and my co-pay was REALLY small no matter what mask I would have chosen: $19.95 even for the $200+ Resmed version of a hybrid.

So, it the insurance doesn't matter you should START with CPAP.com and insist that any other supplier do as well or better, with the understanding that CPAP.com will TAKE CARE OF YOUR REALLY WELL.

If I could use CPAP.com AND be reimbursed I would. I love doing business with them. I have 3 ins companies involved & suffice it to say it won't work. UHC & Medicare won't reimburse me if I pay for it myself. Aetna won't reimburse if the first two don't pay first.

[jencat824]

I live in Georgetown, IN and carry United Healthcare Insurance. I use Louisville O2 and am very pleased with them. They mail me my supplies when I ask for them. They have always found a way to satisfy my requests. They are also preferred providers on my insurance.

Bingo!!! I'm going to contact them, I live in Jeffersonville & have United Health (UHC), Medicare & Aetna. I wanted someone from here to recommend a DME, I trust a company recommended thru here much more than just someone I found on Google.

Thanks so much!

[chunkyfrog]

Get your insurance to send to a list of the in-network DME's, including mail-order (if any)
For those with Medicare, use the link in my signature and enter your zip code.
You may increase the distance field if a road trip is feasible.

[SMenasco]

I recently was dumped by my DME due to Medicare competitive bidding. I went with American Home patient. It was time-consuming to get set up, but they do mail supplies.

[jencat824]

Get your insurance to send to a list of the in-network DME's, including mail-order (if any)
For those with Medicare, use the link in my signature and enter your zip code.
You may increase the distance field if a road trip is feasible.

Thanks froggy, I didn't know about that Medicare link, it did give me a few I didn't know about. I'm spoiled by the mail order thing, I've got some thinking to do. Hubby thinks I may have just had a difficult rep & maybe he's right. The hour on the phone, on top of several mistakes they've recently made just set me off like a rocket. I'm gonna sleep on it.

[Olivia]

I also have Nationwide as my DME and have been very disappointed with them recently. Today when I got home, I had a package from them with a new mask I did not order. I am due for a new mask and requested one they don't carry. I asked for a new headgear for my old mask. I know it is now illegal to auto fill prescriptions from Medicare without the patient's approval so imagine the same holds true for DME equipment. They also farmed off a used bipap on me with stickers on it and packaged as if it were new. I love the convenience of a mail order DME but will be looking for a new One. I also think they are overloaded and need to hire more people as they have also lost prescriptions I have sent to them.