Va Replacement Schedule

I was visiting a buddy of mine today and he's on cpap and we were talking mask and he said his pillows on his Mirage Swift II were soft and squiche. I said you need to replace them and he told me VA only allowed him one pillow every 3 months. I said I think someone is feeding you false info. Am I correct in that and what is the VA replacement schedule for parts. I know there's VA people on here so any info you could give me would be appreciated and I'd pass it on to him.

squid13 wrote:I was visiting a buddy of mine today and he's on cpap and we were talking mask and he said his pillows on his Mirage Swift II were soft and squiche. I said you need to replace them and he told me VA only allowed him one pillow every 3 months. I said I think someone is feeding you false info. Am I correct in that and what is the VA replacement schedule for parts. I know there's VA people on here so any info you could give me would be appreciated and I'd pass it on to him.

It's two (2) nasal pillows per month at the VA. Tell him to start with the Patient Advocate.

Does VA more or less follow the medicare schedule replacement parts.

squid13 wrote:Does VA more or less follow the medicare schedule replacement parts.

Yes, it does for the most part. BUT each region can have a different interpretation. And then it can depend on things we can't see, touch, or have yet to understand.

IOW - Sometimes they have no rhyme or reason. But yes the Medicare guidelines are loosely followed.

EDIT - the patient advocate can help you find the logic in your region.

Thanks Gumby for your quick response.

squid13 wrote:Thanks Gumby for your quick response.

No problem

Oh , Where the confusion may be is that some masks are 3 or 6 month intervals. I know when I first switched to the nasal pillows and the contracted DME told me pillows are every 6 months, so I asked for the supervisor and she pretended to look it up and said yes every 6 months.

I said are you sure? Cuz I am going to be out there tomorrow and I will double check with the VA O2 co-ordinator who admins the program. When I did she said 2pr/mo. I said will you please call them and let them know. But that was NOT the end of it - I still have problems with them even today.

The problem is getting the correct supplies from them in a timely manner. Each time I have a problem I go up another level in the food chain.

Tomorrow I am talking with Mother Theresa. I am rootin for her but not betting on it.

Is there by any chance a document one can print and show people--outlining the supply schedule?
I can't believe it's not in the patients' bill of rights--or maybe that was just a dream I had. . .

chunkyfrog wrote:Is there by any chance a document one can print and show people--outlining the supply schedule?
I can't believe it's not in the patients' bill of rights--or maybe that was just a dream I had. . .

IF it is, I haven't found it. I get the impression the VA folks we have to deal with do NOT want US to know, period. Knowledge is power and job security but also then we would expect them to follow their guidelines.

I don't think the VA has a bill-of-rights for anyone but the federal employees retirement plan.

I may be able find out some day tho.

Maybe the media would like the opportunity to help--big time kudos in store.
Someone should be appalled that our veterans are being treated so cavalierly.
Just thinking out loud.
Maybe contact Kimberly Dozier?

Do you have any co-pay with the VA?
I'm not sure I want to bother with them if it's an ongoing battle. I pay 20% with Tricare.
I gave up on the VA here when they wanted to schedule an appoinment out 5 weeks for service connected chronic pain. Or I could sit in the clinic all day and they "might" be able to see me. Then there was the appointment they scheduled for me at the VA hospital 2 hours away for migraine headaches that I NEVER said I had. Don't know where they got that.

The Va has been good to me. They gave me a new Resmed auto set S9. ( They don't have anything other than auto set units) They don't supply cushions for the Quatro Fx mask but you can have a new mask every 6 months along with a new climate line hose. I don't have a co pay.