Wow. (Mom's bad DME)

Thought I'd replied to this. Thanks, library lady -- I'll show the mask liners to her.

Manufacturers do not provide unlimited free masks to dmes for fitting purposes. Usually 1-3 masks are given to the dme. Dmes do not have the capability of sanitizing the masks properly to keep trying them on the every patient like a sleep lab does. Manufacturers offer a 30 day mask guarantee program, where there is no charge for the second mask within the first 30 days.

The Choker wrote:

SewTired wrote:My advice is to go back down with her and insist on multiple masks.

What are you talking about?

If you are talking about trying them for size in the office, a small DME may have limited stock.

If you are talking about taking them home for use, Medicare only allows a new mask every ninety days.

No exactly. If the mask is a cushion, then it's one mask every two weeks.

If that was confusing, there is always our hosts, cpap.com and their return insurance.
After about a year and a half of being in the center ring of the insurance/DME circus,
I pulled the pin, and saved myself both money AND frustration.
I did not use a DME again until I qualified for Medicare.
I'm so happy I avoided the system when it DID NOT WORK.

chunkyfrog wrote:If that was confusing, there is always our hosts, cpap.com and their return insurance.
After about a year and a half of being in the center ring of the insurance/DME circus,
I pulled the pin, and saved myself both money AND frustration.
I did not use a DME again until I qualified for Medicare.
I'm so happy I avoided the system when it DID NOT WORK.

This is what I'm trying to convince her to do now. She doesn't want to go out of pocket for a mask, but I'm trying to get her to at least use someplace with return insurance to find one that works for her. THEN she can try ordering it through the DME, when she can tell them exactly what she wants.

Also going to try mask liners...maybe we'll get lucky and her original mask will work with those. She said it just had a bit of leak above the nose and on one cheek...so maybe a liner will solve this whole frustrating problem. *fingers crossed*