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Anonymous wrote:My guess is it was someone who didn't know what they were talking about and was trying to make something up on the fly. And failing, horribly.

That's probably it. It doesn't make sense that the DME would outright lie unless:
-he didn't want to bother with ordering the mask
or
-the profit realized is lower for that particular mask after insurance reimbursement

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My guess is it was someone who didn't know what they were talking about and was trying to make something up on the fly. And failing, horribly.

That's probably it. It doesn't make sense that the DME would outright lie unless:
-he didn't want to bother with ordering the mask
or
-the profit realized is lower for that particular mask after insurance reimbursement

AND, thought he could get away with it because he's not used to dealing with "informed" customers.

WAY TO GO, RIGBY!!!

Den

You know it just can't be said enough, Beware the evil DME . Exceptions to DME Guy who is the exception to the norm. .

I have HIP HMO insurance and they use Apria as the DME for cpap. Apria told me I have no choice I get what they give me. I can not pick a machine, I can not choose a mask. I asked about purchasing my own mask and they said I can't because it would hurt their machine. I'm about ready to buy my own machine and mask and just figure it all out for myself. I was told 4/27 that I had apnea and still have no machine!

/rant on

For heaven's sake.....DME's are dealing with equipment that, quite literally, means life or death to patients (their customers). If they cannot train employees to provide accurate, truthful information to those patients, they are endangering patients' LIVES. I'd rate that as a greater sin than just lying to them to increase profit margins.

/rant off

bdp522 wrote:I have HIP HMO insurance and they use Apria as the DME for cpap. Apria told me I have no choice I get what they give me. I can not pick a machine, I can not choose a mask. I asked about purchasing my own mask and they said I can't because it would hurt their machine. I'm about ready to buy my own machine and mask and just figure it all out for myself. I was told 4/27 that I had apnea and still have no machine!

Call your sleep doctor.

Call Apria every day.

Call Apria and ask for a supervisor every day.

Call Apria home office every day.

Jump up and down.

Scream bloody murder.

Try to switch DME's if you can.

If you have to rent for 3 months, accept a machine that can get your started on cpap. But, don't buy just any machine that Apria tries to sell you. You are the patient and consumer.

[quote="bdp522"]I have HIP HMO insurance and they use Apria as the DME for cpap. Apria told me I have no choice I get what they give me. I can not pick a machine, I can not choose a mask. I asked about purchasing my own mask and they said I can't because it would hurt their machine. I'm about ready to buy my own machine and mask and just figure it all out for myself. I was told 4/27 that I had apnea and still have no machine!

Hip pays to rent the machine from apria, it never becomes mine to sell. If I go to any other DME Hip pays nothing. If I purchase my own equipment They will cover no health care related to cpap. I don't have a sleep doc, only the GP from HIP Hmo. If either HIP or apria decide I'm not in compliance they stop treatment and come and get the machine. They have both already said that I have no choice but to use whatever they give me! I can't switch insurances until October, so I will probably be starting all over with new sleep studies with a new insurance then.

bdp522 wrote: I can't switch insurances until October, so I will probably be starting all over with new sleep studies with a new insurance then.

bdp,

Get a copy of your sleep study and the CPAP prescription right now, you should have it anyway. With that you will have better chance of not having to repeat all the testing with your new insurance, providing they don't tag it as a pre-existing condition and refuse to treat it (can they still do that?).