Medicare Competitive Bid

Hi,

I'm in one of those Competitive Bid areas and was depressed to see one of the lowest performers in customer satisfaction was my closest supplier - Apria. Everything else looked pretty bad as well.

Today I got a note from my former supplier, Health Technology Resources (which lost their bid) that they are transferring my records to CPAP Care Club. I think I saw a commercial for them that was a lot like those diabetic care supply places who are so eager for business. I was afraid they were not qualified for the Competitive Bid program, but I found I was wrong - they are listed far down on the list, and are located in TN. That's far from me, so they weren't on my radar for that reason.

They are free mail order, no forms, no automatic sending (illegal now, I'm sure) and the person I spoke to on the phone was very thorough and polite, informing me of their procedures and verifying my equipment. I can't say how relieved I am to have been referred to them and to not have to deal with Apria or the other close by alternatives. They have a website and look like they supply most of the brands, including some I've never heard of. ResMed, Respironics, Fisher and Paykel, many others. Hope this helps the rest of you in these competitive bid areas!

If you click on the link at the bottom of my posts, you will be connected to a listing of the Medicare suppliers in your area.
Note: the green "M" indicates "contracted provider". The others are allowed some "upcharge", which either you pay,
or your Part B supplement may, depending on which plan you purchased. Cheers!

renatae wrote:They are free mail order, no forms, no automatic sending (illegal now, I'm sure) and the person I spoke to on the phone was very thorough and polite, informing me of their procedures and verifying my equipment. I can't say how relieved I am to have been referred to them and to not have to deal with Apria or the other close by alternatives.

Please keep us posted. I will need to find a new supplier shortly and they are on the list for me. Probably for everyone since they're national. Out of three local area suppliers two, Norco and Lin[don't]care, get mixed reviews from friends, family, my old CPAP supplier, and this forum and the third, Bennett Medical, is a total unknown at this point. Anyone had experience with Bennett? They have offices around the west, mostly.

That link you supplied, chunkyfrog, is a great idea! I had already found suppliers in my area, and as I said, they were ones rated pretty badly. The list comes up as closest to farthest, but since this company (CPAP Care Club) mails the products free, location is not a problem. In fact, I'd rather have mail order than to have to traipse down somewhere to collect my supplies.

I will keep you advised, but I expect no problems. I was told it might take about two weeks for my first order since they have to confirm all the information on my prescription, etc. But I told her I used the heated tubing and she said she was aware of that and that it was no problem. They will be sending me filters, tubing and the nasal pillows and then contact me every 90 days for any needed refills. Very polite and knowledgeable, it was like dealing with my old provider, which I liked very well and had no complaints about. They also mailed my supplies to me.

They must be new to the business.
I sent you a PM.

I looked over the list of suppliers in my area and right away find that none of them carry the Mirage Liberty. That's the mask I've been using last couple of months and have much better luck with it than the FFM. I go to the DME for my one year anniversary visit today. I'm being cut loose from this DME in November from what I've been told. My 'close-in' choices are Apria & Lincare. UGH!

chunkyfrog wrote:They must be new to the business.

Haha! I think they have been in business a while, at least my old DME made it sound like they are experienced. The person I talked to on the phone seemed very knowledgeable and the process of ordering was very smooth.

As promised here's my report on my experience. I received my supplies in about a week from CPAP Care Club, and they sent me enough pillows to switch them every two weeks (which is what Medicare allows) a complete new mask assembly (wish they wouldn't have; I just got one about three months ago) six filters, and a new heated hose. All were ResMed supplies, no substitutes , except the filters. Shipping was free. So far, so good! My only problem is that I think that many pillows is really superfluous and I'd rather they did not send so many. I'd rather have continuing quality than to have Medicare decide it's too costly and start undercutting things and having suppliers issue substandard items.

I think anyone in a Competitive Bid area could probably order from CPAP Care Club since they are mail order and are probably listed on everyone's supplier list. For me, they were about three pages down since they are quite a distance from me. I did a search for another state, the Akron area in Ohio, and it showed up on that list, too.

I am trying Optigen since they accept Medicare and Tricare with no out of pocket costs. I ordered 1 nasal pillow and 1 pkg air filters. I told them to only send supplies after I sent them a request. So far, so good.