An Honest R.T. at My Local DME

Guest wrote:it'll be intersting to see how many DMEs will still be in the CPAP business in the future if none of them are allowed to make a profit (according to some of you).
Maybe if you all just paid cash at the DME, things could be best. Why bother with insurance for something that saves your life and is less than $1000 in most cases?

They should make a profit. It's still a capitalist system all in all, isn't it? But an exaggerated profit? If I paid the full list price for every set of guitar strings I buy, I'd be paying 2.5 times more than what I pay now. When the minimum advertised price for a feature-rich BiPAP is roughly two-thirds the list price, and some vendors sell it for less than that, why would anyone want to charge full list--especially when they make money from home visits and set-up and all that?

It's not the profit that bothers me. Everything costs something. It's excessive profit.

I realize that people have different definitions for excessive profit. But I'd be willing to bet that most folks don't go out looking to pay the highest amount they can for a given product. I sure don't. I'm not going to pay 12.50 (or more!) for a set of strings when I can get them for $5.

That said, the thing that impressed me with my DME (and I'm not overly impressed with them, given the service I've received in the past) is that they were willing to provide me with whatever BiPAP (not an ST or SV, but a normal BiPAP as was stated on my prescription) that I wanted. And the cost was the same to me.

n

Guest wrote:Slinky, maybe you should befriend a local DME (one on your approved list) and ask to see his books. Ask to see what expenses a real DME has (trucks, oxygen tanks, inventory, RT on staff, maintenence, etc.). Ask what profit he "should" make on a CPAP and mask. The 'experts' on this forum who get it make up about 0.3% of all CPAP patients. The others depend on their local DME.

Whoa, Guest!!! Why should a CPAPper have to contribute to the support of an 02 user?? You think the line DME suppliers don't have to maintain a building, inventory, staff, etc? I will grant their overhead will be cheaper - but - the xPAP market should NOT have to support the 02 market and vice versa. (And yes, I have COPD and utlize both xPAP and 02 therapy).

eutychus wrote: ... Sparrow Regional Medical Supply
Mt. Pleasant, MI

Hey, Eutychus!!! I'm not far from you! Over in the Saginaw area. The sleep doc from my sleep lab was practicing in Mt Pleasant until just recently. He's moved on to Grand Blanc now, I understand. You know, Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw sponsors an apnea support group. There's at least one man from the Mt Pleasant area who often comes to the meetings. He usually hangs out at the talkaboutsleep apnea forum.

To follow up . . . Slinky, I checked with my HMO. The customer rep was very nice and offered this explanation: the "rent, not own" policy is in effect so customers will be able to get their machines serviced and cared for--apparently the DME will take a greater interest in service if it owns the machine.

Personally, I think it's not a very good reason, but I've got to admit that I sure know more now than I did nearly 11 years ago about my problem and the machine, too.

On the other hand, I've had my machine 10.5 years, and it's served me well without any servicing. I'd imagine that new machines shouldn't require much, if any, servicing. But if they did . . . not may first-time buyers would have a back-up, would they?

Then again, my HMO is a part-owner of the only DME they deal with. Hmm.

That said . . . she did tell me that I could get a doctor--my specialist or GP--to write a letter asking that I be allowed to buy the machine rather than rent it. I may do that. It'd be interesting to see what the outcome would be.

The dynamics involved with insurance companies or HMOs and certain DMEs is interesting, isn't it?

Anyway, that's what I found out.

nath

Slinky wrote:

eutychus wrote: ... Sparrow Regional Medical Supply
Mt. Pleasant, MI

Hey, Eutychus!!! I'm not far from you! Over in the Saginaw area. The sleep doc from my sleep lab was practicing in Mt Pleasant until just recently. He's moved on to Grand Blanc now, I understand. You know, Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw sponsors an apnea support group. There's at least one man from the Mt Pleasant area who often comes to the meetings. He usually hangs out at the talkaboutsleep apnea forum.

The company that I ended up dealing with is Sheldon Medical, out of Saginaw. A guy from their Mt. Pleasant office is coming to my house tomorrow to set me up.

Thanks for the update, Nath. What a bunch of swill!!! Boy! Talk about a con game. This HMO/DME arrangement is so sweet its enough to make one barf!

Here is what Medicare and my secondary is paying for a Resmed VPAP Auto for a 13 month "capped rental" after which it is MINE FREE AND CLEAR.

DME Bills: $239.92 - Medicare Allows: $218.11 - Medicare Pays: $174.49 - CoPay: $43.62 for a total of $2835

Your HMO pays your DME about $335 a month for 6 months = $2010. PLUS you pay them $500 for that 6 months and at the end of 6 months your DME has been paid $2500 for a bi-level they still own!!! Considering these bi-levels are guaranteed for 2 years, most insurances will replace one every 5 years and many last 10 years or better .... What a SWEET deal - for the DME and the HMO!!! They can turn around and are guaranteed to get AT LEAST 18 more months of rental out of that bi-level and most likely get at least 5 years rental out of the bi-level. Lets see: 6 months for 5 years, that's 10 x $2500 they could conceivably make off that one poor ole bi-level.

And your state licensing board ALLOWS this type of sweetheart deal?? Sheesh!

I paid $500 for a Respironics pre-M Series Bi-PAP Auto w/Bi-Flex w/26 actual, total hours on it, COMPLETE w/EVERYTHING except the carrying case: humidifier, hose, seals, filters, etc. etc. at cpapauction less than a month ago.

eutychus wrote: ... The company that I ended up dealing with is Sheldon Medical, out of Saginaw. A guy from their Mt. Pleasant office is coming to my house tomorrow to set me up.

Sheldon Medical out of Saginaw is the local DME supplier I've been working with. They've been good to me. But they are also aware that I was started w/Wright & Filippis out of Saginaw and REFUSED to continue doing business w/W&F. I'm not sure who will be out to do your set up but I'm pretty sure that "Tim" will handle any mask exchanges or problems you may have w/masks. Tim's a good guy.

Superior Home Health Care out of Saginaw are FANTASTIC to work with!!!! GREAT RTs on staff who KNOW their stuff and bend over backwards to educate, advise and help! But they aren't contracted w/my secondary insurance. *sigh*

Slinky wrote:

eutychus wrote: ... The company that I ended up dealing with is Sheldon Medical, out of Saginaw. A guy from their Mt. Pleasant office is coming to my house tomorrow to set me up.

Sheldon Medical out of Saginaw is the local DME supplier I've been working with. They've been good to me. But they are also aware that I was started w/Wright & Filippis out of Saginaw and REFUSED to continue doing business w/W&F. I'm not sure who will be out to do your set up but I'm pretty sure that "Tim" will handle any mask exchanges or problems you may have w/masks. Tim's a good guy.

I think a "Dave" is coming out tomorrow? Or at least he's the guy who called me. By the way, I love your signature line - it made me laugh out loud the first time I read it.

Slinky wrote:Thanks for the update, Nath. What a bunch of swill!!! Boy! Talk about a con game. This HMO/DME arrangement is so sweet its enough to make one barf!

Yep, Slinky. I with you on this. I mean, I think they should give people the choice. If they feel more comfortable renting, fine. If not, let them buy the machine.

Thank goodness our HMO allows my wife to buy her hearing aids! Then again, they're pretty much custom fitted to ear canals, so what else could they do?

But I've been following the cpapauctions, too. We'll see. I figure I'll spend there about what I would for the whole kaboodle through my HMO. They won't put out any money, of course, but neither will they make money through their DME.

eutychus wrote:By the way, I love your signature line - it made me laugh out loud the first time I read it.

Yep, I like Slink's signature, too. And yours--my wife always laughs at poor Eutychus . . . once revived, he has to listen to more of Paul's long, long sermon. . . . (At least I think I'm remember that right. . . .)

Good luck with what sounds like a great DME. I'm envious!

nath

Hmmm. There's a Dave in the Saginaw office and he's my favorite. But I don't think he delivers, sets up, etc. I think he stays put right at the office and warehouse in the back.

Snoredog wrote:

thedean wrote:it'll be intersting to see how many DMEs will still be in the CPAP business in the future if none of them are allowed to make a profit (according to some of you).
Maybe if you all just paid cash at the DME, things could be best. Why bother with insurance for something that saves your life and is less than $1000 in most cases?

I hope every one of the rip-off sons a bitches go out of business including slimeballs like you. It is their lobbying efforts that got MAP pricing in place by Resmed and Respironics yet that didn't impact anyone with insurance coverage, didn't change a single thing other than cost people without insurance coverage more by increasing your greedy profits.

I hope your DME shack burns to the ground or floods to the ceiling.

Snoredog,

Do you have any happy pills in the bottom drawer

DSM

(if yes - try one )

eutychus wrote:I said, "So, it's dollars over my health with your company?" I told him that I appreciated his honesty and that I was happy to discover their lack of integrity now rather than later.

end of rant...

I cannot even believe that they were upfront and told you honestly. Well that is very good to hear even if they did not care about people's health!

But yours ended well with your 2nd choice.. Awesome!