I have Kaiser and have never seen a sleep MD

The RTs work for Kaiser.

Note to self: Never look back at Apria. Only consider Kaiser Permanente after finding burial plot.

Yes, Kaiser is into prevention, not intervention!

The Kaiser customers/patients who attend our local AWAKE meetings sure complain about Apria. That's the experience I've had with them too.

If your RTs are from Kaiser, what does Apria do, just supply the equipment?

Yes, they mail it to your house.

The first contact I had with them was when I called them to ask them to mail it immediately, as my old insuror was going to retrieve the CPAP I had been renting. They threatened me with collections if I didn't pay my share (I had made no statement that I wouldn't) and stated that they had been waiting to hear from me before they would mail it. I had not been informed of any of this, so was glad I called, or I guess I'd still be waiting!

The second contact I had was when I called to see what machines and masks they carried that might help with cold air. I was only able to talk with a clerk/receptionist, and all she asked was whether I had turned the humidifier up, and then referred me back to Kaiser. Wow, what customer service! I had been considering purchasing outside of Kaiser plan but that convinced me not to use Apria!

I'm waiting to get some reprisal for all this...

If your RTs are from Kaiser, what does Apria do, just supply the equipment?

Yes, Apria considers themselves to be an equipment supplier ONLY as far as Kaiser patients are concerned. It's mutually beneficial to Kaiser and Apria, but not to the patient.

Kaiser has a staff of RT's in its sleep clinics who are paid an hourly wage to see as many patients as they possibly can. So it's no problem for Kaiser to do this for more and more people. I estimate that the local clinic puts 20 to 30 new people on CPAP EVERY WEEK. The RT's do all the fitting and recommendations. There are pulmonologists on staff who supposedly write the prescriptions, but the RT's do all the grunt work and interface with the patients. The RT's I've been working locally with are great, I have no complaints in that regard. They know their stuff, they keep up on the latest, and they really work with you, and they bend over backwards to help you adjust to the CPAP.

Kaiser's exclusive contract is with Apria. All Apria has to do is bill Kaiser (and they must give them some sweet deal on the equipment because they are the exclusive provider and get a huge volume of repeat business from Kaiser), collect the patient's co-payment (they will not send anything without it), set up, and mail the equipment out.

Apria will not hand equipment to the patient, even if the patient goes to their office. I was told that their agreement with Kaiser "requires" them to mail the equipment to the patient. Translation: "Kaiser does not pay us enough for this equipment to be responsible for patient assessment and education, even though we are required to do so by law."

Even when I went into the office to make my co-payment by check they seemed upset to have to interact with them that much--they call you and DEMAND (not ask) a co-payment before anything is sent out and they really only want your credit card or a mailed check so they don't have to see you or talk to you face to face.



/Quote/ Note to self: Never look back at Apria. Only consider Kaiser Permanente after finding burial plot./Quote/

I used to say that I would become a Kaiser member over my dead body, but, unfortunately, it’s the only insurance available to me and we don’t have the money to seek care elsewhere. I’m not dead yet.

They do some things very well, but other things stink. I live in fear of getting a cancer or other disease the treatment for which is not on their formulary. But at least I have insurance. And considering what I’ve gone through the past few years healthwise, it’s better than not having had it. The last few years on a PPO were no picnic either, because covered services were getting almost impossible to access in our locale, which has been called by the local press “the Beirut of healthcare”.

I am going to chime in on this as a apnea patient at Kaiser as well as an employee. I did see a pulmonologist in the beginning. I did a sleep study and then went out to the same place where they do the sleep study to pick up my machine.. I have seen the RT several times about different masks and what not but never had a problem getting what I need from them. The only problem I have had is they don't answer the phone. You have to leave a message and then they will call you back which I find kind of annoying, but overall I have had a pretty good experience with that end of the company. I live in Portland Oregon by the way. I have always had good experiences with Kaiser. Maybe the different regions do things differently? But overall I am and have not been unhappy with anything at kaiser and I am sorry to hear some of you have not had a good experience I think it just depends on where you go and who you see.. But it is still a shame..

Ronnie