Lost My DME - Hello Medicare! (Long)

I needed to order mask and supplies before the end of the year - I met my out-of-pocket due to surgery so I've been
ordering what I could before the year's end. I'm eligible Nov. 10 for a new mask and supplies. I go on Medicare
Dec 1st. DME tells me 'unfortunately' (don't you just love that word) that I will no longer be able to order from them. They are a physician owned DME and Medicare considers it a self-referral and won't pay. I am so disappointed. This is the DME that has been so wonderful since my first day. No horror stories, just excellent service all the way around. I asked if they could suggest a reliable, honest DME in our city - they gave me two! I asked if they had had good reports from their patients about any of them and that I had heard horror stories, etc. "Well I have a 3rd DME, but that's why I didn't give you their number."

Called the 1st number and got an answering machine, ugh! Called the 2nd number and was greeted by a real person. They have a lot of patients from my Pulmonary clinic. I asked questions that my DME had told me to ask and was given the same info that I received from my DME: have all records, both sleep studies, and new Rx for supplies sent to them. I thought Rx was good for life-Ha! Medicare requires new Rx for mask as well as machine. Just ask Dr. for Rx for replacement machine. I have high hopes for this DME, and thanks to you all, I know I have the power. My Mama always said, " Growing old ain't for sissies." I'm in for the long haul. Thank you all.

Be careful. Sometimes medicare is a little screwy on the qualifications and you might end up needing a new sleep test or hitting other snags.

Not necessarily, but don't get caught having to pay the whole list price out of pocket if medicare rejects your claim a few months after you get the machine. Or paying for an additional sleep test.

Thanks, archangle. I can use all the tips I can get. Frankly, Medicare scares me and the fact that my insurance requires that I be on Medicare or a penalty is added to the premium, makes me angry. Actually, if I go on Medicare, I will get a discount! Yeah, right. I know that that's the system and I have to go along, but I don't have to like it. I'm open to any and all information I can get. Thankfully, I won't need a new machine for a long time - probably will be required to have a new sleep study by then.

I have decided why we seniors are put through all this: Keeping our minds active trying to figure out what to do, how and when, helps to prevent or at least put off Dementia or Alzheimer's disease! Are we 'being taken care of' or what. Just small stuff.

Thanks to all for your help.

I had a very smooth transition when I became eligable for Medicare. The policy that I had with my employer switched from primary to secondary with Medicare as primary. My employer's policy became the Medicare Supplement. I was not on CPAP at the time but all service I was receiving from providors continued without a blip.

LSAT- That is what I am understanding. My husband has a Medicare Advantage Plan, as do I, but so far he hasn't had to deal with any DME. I'm just anxious about the whole deal. My Dr. has been great and supportive of my taking my therapy seriously. He didn't question my wanting the S9 autoset or even bat an eye when I told him I set my Apap parameters. Early on, his PA remarked after a brief conversation that I needed to be doing his job. (Would I ever love that!) What a great University is cpaptalk.com. The good part is that one doesn't ever really graduate - the learning just keeps on and on and on. We can all be teachers, too.