DME can't provide Dreamwear

I love my Dreamwear (small frame/small pillow). I ordered it from Amazon while I was still desperately searching for the right mask. Luckily for me, my insurance covers a new mask every three months. However.

My DME not only told me that they only carry the fitpack (medium frame/1 of each size pillow), they told me that the frame isn't made in small or large! I replied (this was on the phone) that I was holding a small frame in my hands at that moment. The upshot was that they sent me a fitpack. Thanks.

So my insurance found me a new DME (Apria, I know) just to provide the mask. They were supposed to send me a fitpack along with a separate small frame and a few pillows. I just called them to check on the shipment and was told that it had to be special-ordered, and would be coming in 4 to 6 weeks.

Just reading around this forum makes me think that the Dreamwear has become popular and that many of you are using it. You can't all wear the medium frame. So my question to all you Dreamwear users is Where do you get your mask? If your DME supplies it, what exactly do they send you?

Like adjusting o CPAP isn't enough of an adventure without this nonsense.

I don't know anything about dreamwear, but you could probably get it through cpap.com. They don't accept insurance, so you'll need to find out if your insurance will reimburse you if you can't afford it out of pocket. Good luck!

My insurance will only cover what I get from their approved DME. I told them that the Dreamwear was available from every online supplier as well as Amazon, but they won't reimburse CPAP supplies bought outside their system. I bought my original and a backup out of pocket, but it seems like insurance should be providing them from now on.

Just as an aside, I'm also assuming that when I transition to medicare in a year and a half, the real cluster**** will begin.

Use the link in my signature to find other DME's in or near your Zip code that are Medicare providers.
Compare to the list from your insurance. Call around, and hire the one that will sell you the mask of your choice.
I fired THREE DME's before settling on the one I have now.
I still buy from cpap.com when Medicare is not involved.

Are you dealing on the phone with the DME warehouse/shipping customer service people? Because I use Lincare, and have a similar issue. The Distribution Center is limited with what they have in stock and can ship. When I talk to the Local Lincare office, the Resp Therapist there personally will order and ship from what they have in their office. I don't know if I am just lucky with an exceptional local office, but I have buttered them up over the year with thank you cards etc. The local office has to special order my mask, and now my slimline hose so that I get what I want. And it will go thru my insurance that way.
So long story short- have you tried the local office instead of the Dist. center?

I started with the local office of my original DME. The people there are very nice, but they are not well-informed. Otherwise, its all been on the phone with anyone who would talk to me.

QueSera wrote:Just as an aside, I'm also assuming that when I transition to medicare in a year and a half, the real cluster**** will begin.

I have been on medicare since I started treatment. Where I live, there are four or five approved DME. I can take my pick of any of them. I order supplies when I need them. I do not order as often as I am entitled to. I order just often enough to keep one spare of everything. If something wears out, I order a new one.

Thanks, okie, that's good to know. I have several chronic conditions with ongoing treatment, so I'm imagining that transferring everything over to medicare will be a headache.

With Medicare, providing you don't settle for a crappy supplement, most things are easier and cheaper.
Except insulin and some drugs.

Get the fit pack through your DME as often as they'll allow. Sell the extra cushions on eBay. Use the funds you secure doing that to buy a new frame on CPAP.com once a year.

When all else failed, I put my request in writing, sending it to the corporate office, with copies to the Local DME. (That's how I got the exact Resmed carry case I wanted). Boy was I surprised when that case showed up on my doorstep. When you put things in writing, to the proper people, it is harder for your order to fall through the cracks. You could also suggest the
Dist. Center stocks that new mask in all sizes.

It appears that cpap.com only carries the entire mask with the medium frame.
The frame alone is $30 and comes in all sizes.
The headgear is $36. I would imagine your DME can be "pressured" to assemble those parts for you,
WITHOUT making you buy the frame that does not fit.
If they "cannot", then their competitor may.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... dgear.html

Small cushion wth small frame is first drop done option. But it's $109. The frame by itself is $30- and that's all she would need if she got the fit pack through DME and it would probably last a year.

chunkyfrog wrote:Use the link in my signature to find other DME's in or near your Zip code that are Medicare providers.
Compare to the list from your insurance. Call around, and hire the one that will sell you the mask of your choice.
I fired THREE DME's before settling on the one I have now.
I still buy from cpap.com when Medicare is not involved.

Doesn't the DME need paperwork from your doctor before they can send/bill your insurance?? That's a lot of work
for the doctor! I'll be on my third provider if I change IF it's even allowed!

Dee--Get a copy of your prescription. You can send it to any DME you want. I have a pic of my prescription on my smart phone. I can email to every DME and online provider.