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kayursula,

Although anyone who answers the phone or handles the front counter at a DME should be educated on their products, services, insurance, medicare, etc. many are not. Before you go too far, I would suggest that you make sure you are talking to the store manager or proprietor and not the lowest rung on the ladder.

I have an absolutely wonderful DME proprietor, a licensed respiratory therapist, who is extremely helpful and knowledgable, but my first impression of their operation was not quite so sterling, when I was talking to a well-meaning but ill-informed office secretary who at first presumed to know more than she actually did about the machine I was getting or was supposed to get. Now that she and I "know each other better" our conversations are limited to pleasantries like the weather, after which she always cheerfully switches me directly to the boss, or takes a message for him to call back if he's not in.

Just because the person you spoke to was either ill-informed or perhaps lazy, I would not, for your own personal convenience, give up on this DME without first trying to speak to "the boss" - for all you know, the dimwit you spoke to may have already been fired or quit.

Good luck, Nate

Here's my favorite part:

I called my provider last week about getting a new nasal pillow and headgear. I was told that "it was too expensive to order from medicare and that it was ok to use the pillow and headgear longer than necessary."

Last time I looked, Medicare is not a DME provider--it's a payor!

What this guy was saying is that it's not worth his time and effort to BILL MEDICARE to get paid for your supplies, even though the Medicare schedule provides them on a regular basis.

In other words, this DME doesn't want your business, you're not worth it to them. So take your business elsewhere to someone who does appreciate your business. Then write the manager, owner, or regional office of this DME and make sure they know WHY they lost a customer. CC it to the doctor who referred you to them.

Janknitz wrote:Here's my favorite part:

I called my provider last week about getting a new nasal pillow and headgear. I was told that "it was too expensive to order from medicare and that it was ok to use the pillow and headgear longer than necessary."

Last time I looked, Medicare is not a DME provider--it's a payor!

What this guy was saying is that it's not worth his time and effort to BILL MEDICARE to get paid for your supplies, even though the Medicare schedule provides them on a regular basis.

In other words, this DME doesn't want your business, you're not worth it to them. So take your business elsewhere to someone who does appreciate your business. Then write the manager, owner, or regional office of this DME and make sure they know WHY they lost a customer. CC it to the doctor who referred you to them.

It also tells you something about the financial stability of this DME. A successful DME will have sufficient cash flow and/or a line of credit with their supplier that they can afford to purchase cpap supplies for their customers and wait for Medicare reimbursement. Your DME is admitting that he/she is financially unable to do that.

Nate

Hmmm, I wonder if the ResMed rep in your area would be interested in hearing about a DME provider who wasn't interested in providing replacement nasal pillows because it's too much trouble to bill Medicare.

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, guess what? The feathers should be a clue! This is serious health care. From the phone receptionist, to the person issuing the equipment, their should be significant knowledge in the field. First I ask the person, doing the selling, "Do you use cpap?" if yes, I ask, "what do you use", "what would you recommend for me?" If not I ask, "have you ever "tried" having air blown up you nose or in your face while lying down trying to relax enough to go to sleep?"
I know I'll get a "beat down" or two, but these respiratory folks are messing with my LUNGS and my LIFE!
Now please, "PASS THE POPCORN" oops, LCHF no popcorn necessary! Pass the WINE!

Janknitz wrote:Hmmm, I wonder if the ResMed rep in your area would be interested in hearing about a DME provider who wasn't interested in providing replacement nasal pillows because it's too much trouble to bill Medicare.

Oh, I bet they'd be very interested in that!

Janknitz!
EXCELLENT POINT.
Just sic ResMed on them.
Folks eventually figure out where their checks come from--when they stop!