CPAPtalk.com

damn I guess I struck a nerve with some people lol joking. I meet my DME today after work so im alittle scared seeing all these horror stories. Ive already spoke them twice on the phone this week they seem alright so far but im also paying out of pocket since I haven't met my 3,000 deducible.

Atmosphere00 wrote:im also paying out of pocket since I haven't met my 3,000 deducible.

Have you compared prices against an internet supplier? They are usually much cheaper. Forum members can help you find something.

I like the USERID.

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Atmosphere00 wrote:im also paying out of pocket since I haven't met my 3,000 deducible.

Have you compared prices against an internet supplier? They are usually much cheaper. Forum members can help you find something.

I like the USERID.

Hey ChicagoGranny
Yeah I did compare with the prices on cpap.com but there pretty much the same believe it or not. The DME has a contract with my insurance company so they DME said it was a fixed contracted price on my machine. Plus my doctor has been pushing me to use this DME first so he can get info off my machine from them to see how well im doing. He also admitting to me yesterday he is also a CPAP user and uses there stuff so I just figured id test the waters and if its bad ill just dump them. I will be getting some stuff threw CPAP.com though.

Atmosphere00 wrote:Yeah I did compare with the prices on cpap.com but there pretty much the same believe it or not. The DME has a contract with my insurance company so they DME said it was a fixed contracted price on my machine.

+1

Atmosphere00 wrote:He also admitting to me yesterday he is also a CPAP user

Admitted? He should brag about it to all his patients and potential patients.

Atmosphere00 wrote:so he can get info off my machine from them to see how well im doing.

That's good. I hope you also plan to use Sleepyhead software to monitor your own progress. Your doc can only check on you occasionally, but, if needed, you can check everyday until you get your CPAP process optimized.

Good luck.

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Atmosphere00 wrote:Yeah I did compare with the prices on cpap.com but there pretty much the same believe it or not. The DME has a contract with my insurance company so they DME said it was a fixed contracted price on my machine.

+1

Atmosphere00 wrote:He also admitting to me yesterday he is also a CPAP user

Admitted? He should brag about it to all his patients and potential patients.

Atmosphere00 wrote:so he can get info off my machine from them to see how well im doing.

That's good. I hope you also plan to use Sleepyhead software to monitor your own progress. Your doc can only check on you occasionally, but, if needed, you can check everyday until you get your CPAP process optimized.

Good luck.

I think he has a idea ill probably screw around with the machine, I called his office on Monday to tell him to call the DME to make sure what I was getting was a full data capable machine after getting everyone's awesome advice on here.
This site is really a big source of info!

Atmosphere00 wrote:I think he has a idea ill probably screw around with the machine

I'll bet he screws around with his machine.

If he doesn't, I wouldn't trust him to touch mine.

Wait. What am I talking about? I don't trust ANYONE (but myself) to screw around with my machine.

The DME asked me to bring it in one time. There was no way I would do that.

Here's 2 more places a lot of us order from.
http://www.snugglehose.com
http://www.padacheek.com

Having your "stuff"covered makes it much more comfortable and quiet. *Order your snuggle hose cover from our host, https://www.cpap.com

Atmosphere00 wrote:So does anyone really like there DME?
All the information I have seen so far about people dealing with there DME's doesn't sound very positive : /
Any good DME stories?

I like mine so far, but it's only been a month. I've had to exchange some cushions and get an additional mask and that went fine. The tech hasn't told me anything that contradicts what I've seen from other sources, such as this forum. Also the DME is owned by my insurance company and they pay 80% of whatever they allow, which is lower than what's submitted. For example the initial set-up was billed at $815 but the insurance only allowed $312 so they paid $250, my payment was $62 and the rest was written off. There's not much incentive to push excess products on me so all they do is send an email reminder and I have to call and order the stuff. The replacement schedule they gave me pretty much matches what's been posted. I am on a 10 month rental for the DreamStation but that doesn't sound unusual.

Nope

Sheriff

No, been though a couple over the years. Clueless... Condescending... Feel like snake oil salesmen/women. I actually find myself getting quite angry when I have to visit with them, and I am not the angry type.

jnk... wrote:I like my original DME in much the same way I like little helpless kittens: They can be sorta cute and fuzzy and entertaining; I just don't depend on them to know much about . . . well . . . anything. At least, that's how I feel about the DME drones when I'm able to block out the memories of the lies told and the incompetence shown. But hey, who can hold little kittens responsible for what they do?

+1

Janknitz wrote:Just like any public forum, I think people who have complaints are going to be more vocal than people who are satisfied with their care. It takes being way more than satisfied for me to post something positive--I expect satisfactory service as the baseline--and I'm often disappointed.

So you have to take it with a grain of salt. YOUR Crapria or LinDoesn't Care office may be great, if you are lucky to find a small local provider still in business they might be wonderful. I would love to see more people tell about great providers so that people in the neighborhood can bring them their business.

But Medicare's agenda is to work only with a few competitive bid winners and then grind their profits down to the nubbins, so it's going to be harder and harder to find those good providers--they truly deserve accolades when you find them.

+1

I love Edgepark...I want to marry them. I never have to lift a finger with them.

Aerocare/Express Medical I hate with the heat of a thousand suns.

Lincare...it's a damaged relationship, but I'm trying to get back with them.

I like mine pretty well. They have been dealing with the lowballing that medicare has pushed on everyone. A big company will move in, with low prices, then medicare will make everyone adhere to those prices. Then the big company will move out because they can't make money on those prices, but the prices will stay the same. My DME has been absorbing that. Sucks because it's a small local company. Mitchell Home Medical in Southeast Michigan and I think Toledo area (not sure about Toledo, though).

At first I had a devil of a time getting the right machine. I think it was the woman who I dealt with. But everyone else has been good and they will let you try on masks. If I had to dealexclusively with one of the "big box" DME's I'd likely order from cpap dot com, assuming they take my insurance. I think they are a good company. They do call you every three months (robocalls), though I never feel pushed to get supplies. Some places just send them automatically.

They also recommended an upgrade from the mask I was using to an airfit, which I love! Now I'm going to try the dreamwear next, I can try it on at their office. I would not have tried the airfit if they hadn't recomended it.