DME nightmare(S)

Apria has been really fast about getting my supplies to me. Usually the next day via UPS.

Shawn, If you are delaying your home time... if I understand that right....
Encourage your wife to create a user profile here and we can walk her through setting up her S9.
From her O2 results you posted, it seems she needs to be on the hose NOW!

I think Most DME's don't know that we know about the internet or Google.

Or that you can order just about anything today and have it in your hand within 3 days with "Standard Ground Shipping".

I do know that with my DME I always have to ask for a tracking number or they can't remember to ship it. Once they ship it - I get it the next day but they want me to believe they overnite FedEx'd it when they use UPS for everything.

AND CT is NOT that big that I will get it the "Next Day" once they do ship it regardless.

I didn't know that they would ship it to me ... But I'm sure since I'm a new patient that they will want me to drive in there for my mask selection and fitting ... I'm still learning from you all!

I plan on getting home on or about 8/3 ... Give or take a day or two ... They said it could be UP TO seven days to get it from the manufacture ... But could be as soon as three ... I did not think to as if it was "business days"?

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:I didn't know that they would ship it to me ... But I'm sure since I'm a new patient that they will want me to drive in there for my mask selection and fitting ... I'm still learning from you all!

Actually, I was talking about re-order supplies. Not ALL DME's come out the 1st time but it is better if they do and set it up to go over things with you in your home setting.

Apria sent my first machine via UPS, I had to set it all up and had NO Clue what I was doing. That was one full month after my 1st sleep study dx'd w/Severe OSA. Apria is known for it's poor customer service thruout the country.

Shawn I should point out that I didn't find this site til maybe 6 months later when I was still having troubles. So you are light years ahead of me and many others here. You can see that some don't find this site for 10-15 yrs later.

Many just want to know how to shut the thing OFF after they wake up and have no idea if their therapy is effective or that they can check their data at home on their very own computer, for FREE.

I will venture to say that you probably know way more than they did when they 1st arrived here. DME's are just not accustomed to people preparing like you have. But then they haven't heard about the internet yet.

OH, They've heard! But they don't like us to know about it, and know more than them!

I was actually cautioned by the DME about getting too much info, as it might not apply to my condition, only trained professionals can really do that!

My wife "Blessed2BeeAlive" here is very cautious when it comes to new things, and would rather be shown hands on how ... Than read a manual. I'm the exact opposite, I like to read and learn all there is to know, tricks of the trade, and the "how & why" of what I'm doing ...

So glad I bought a oximeter, as now I know my wife needs help (she's in the 80's %) I got her a new S9 AutoSet but I need to get her started ... I also got four masks so far for her to try a swift fx, Optilife, and the two ffm that came with the machine I don't know what they are ... Except one is small, other is a med ... So, hopefully we can make one of those work!

123.Shawn T.W. wrote: I was actually cautioned by the DME about getting too much info, as it might not apply to my condition, only trained professionals can really do that!

The info is accessible if you put the effort into understanding it, but it is not consumer-friendly. There are too many people on the internet who go looking for quick answers or sound bites. Oversimplification will cause trouble for them, so the people at the DME have a point.

Today, I heard a DME stand up in front of a room full of people and imply that all CPAP equipment sold online is COUNTERFEIT.
This was not the same DME that tried to sell me a mask that was stamped, "not for home use".

chunkyfrog wrote:Today, I heard a DME stand up in front of a room full of people and imply that all CPAP equipment sold online is COUNTERFEIT.
This was not the same DME that tried to sell me a mask that was stamped, "not for home use".

What happened to that "Things DME's Said" thread?

You got me.
I was too lazy to look for it.

I went to Apria to get my machine. I didn't know they would come to my house, but I would not have wanted them too.
The tech spent about an hour with me going over the machine basics, fitting the mask, and of course signing the contract.
I still have no complaints. I had found the forums before that so, they are my supplier.
If I ever get family members to have a PSG done I will refer them to Apria.
But finding the forums first gave me the knowledge to deal with them.

Glad you got a good selection of masks Shawn.

big_dave wrote:

123.Shawn T.W. wrote: I was actually cautioned by the DME about getting too much info, as it might not apply to my condition, only trained professionals can really do that!

The info is accessible if you put the effort into understanding it, but it is not consumer-friendly. There are too many people on the internet who go looking for quick answers or sound bites. Oversimplification will cause trouble for them, so the people at the DME have a point.

Sounds like my Dad's sleep doc. He went on and on to him about how "they were just talking about" how APAP and data capabilities weren't really that useful Of course being a manager for 15 years has ossified his brain, so he bought it hook line and sinker.

So the "fun" goes on!

There seven business days were up ... I called and Cynthia told me that oh yeah, the machine is in, but we are still waiting on the hose a 12 power, and by the way you will have to pay an extra $250 for the S1 60 series as that is an upgraded model ... We "talked" abit ... She would not budge ... She said that she would not make an apt til I agreed to the $250 ... I said that's fine, as I don't want an appointment till you figure out what the contract with BCBS says! As they told me ANY APAP was billed the same ... What a waste of my breath ...

I called BCBC in NE, they told me they had never heard of that either! Would I give her the DME's number? I did! They put me on hold, and she eventually came back and told me that because there in NE, and I was getting service in AZ that I would have to go by whatever BCBC of AZ had in there contract ... I'm gonna call them ...

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:So the "fun" goes on!

There seven business days were up ... I called and Cynthia told me that oh yeah, the machine is in, but we are still waiting on the hose a 12 power, and by the way you will have to pay an extra $250 for the S1 60 series as that is an upgraded model ... We "talked" abit ... She would not budge ... She said that she would not make an apt til I agreed to the $250 ... I said that's fine, as I don't want an appointment till you figure out what the contract with BCBS says! As they told me ANY APAP was billed the same ... What a waste of my breath ...

I called BCBC in NE, they told me they had never heard of that either! Would I give her the DME's number? I did! They put me on hold, and she eventually came back and told me that because there in NE, and I was getting service in AZ that I would have to go by whatever BCBC of AZ had in there contract ... I'm gonna call them ...

Absolutely unbelievable! I feel for ya, bud. Geeeeez!

So I call BCBC AZ and finally after four people and 14 minutes, I find that AZ has to pay whatever my benefits from NE say! And the guy is nice and suggests I ask to speak to a supervisor when I call Nebraska back.

I call NE and tel a different lady everything, and she also tells me that she has not ever heard of the up charge before ... That I should maybe look at a different machine ...?

I say NO, I tell her my Dr wrote a Rx for this machine as it is what he believes is the best for my health. The DME should bill BCBS for HCPCS E0601 for the APAP, E0562 for the heated humidifier, and possibly A7037 for the heated hose. And since I now only have $10 left on my deductible and lets say just for fun, and easy math ... That everything comes to $1,010.00 ... I would first pay the $10 deductible, plus my 20% co-pay of $200, and BCBS would cover the other 80% ($800) she agrees! I then say that since we both pay our portions that equals 100% of the contracted price ... Why should I pay the EXTRA $250? !!!! She says well don't sign for the upcharge, and I won't have to pay, but I tell her that they won't schedule me in unless I agree to pay the extra $250!

I give her another example ... My sleep study price was $3,200.00 if I walked in off the street ... But since I was a patient of BCBS and they had a contract ... The price dropped to $640.10 (which I paid 100% towards my deductible) should the sleep study place come back to me and ask me to pay more, since They were not making enough money off from BCBS? She said no.

I told her the DME needed to hear from someone other than me ... I asked to speak to her supervisor ... She told me that who I really needed to talk to was somebody who deals with durable medical goods, and they left 1.5 hrs ago, but she would have everything written up for them when they came back on Monday ... She asked for the name of the DME and telephone number and who I talked to ...

I also learned that they usually always rent to own ... I'm not crazy about that, as I like to own everything I have ... Secondly I do not plan on keeping this job much longer, actually planned on leaving in May, but then I started the sleep study ... And it has been dragging on ... I was hoping to get this medical stuff done while I had my job with ins ...Thirdly if I go the rental route ... I start my deductible all over in January! What a RACKET! I might just be better to sell off some MORE of my IRA and buy my own machine and forget the hassles of ins and DME !!

Yesterday I called BCBS since they didn't call me back ... After 10 minutes I was told they were going to email the person I talked to on Friday ... And she would give me a call ...

So, I was at our world headquarters this morning, and I walked into HR, and told them my story ... She said she would get to the bottom of this before noon!

10:48 she called me back, and told me that the DME I have been fighting with is not in BCBS's preferred provider network, even though there sleep center was!

I ended up calling a different place closer to home (only 75 miles!) they did not carry the 60 in stock, but Jessica would be happy to order it as soon as they got my Rx ... But suggested that I call Apria in town and see if they had it in stock? Could not even tell me if they carried Respironics without a Rx!

Looks like I found a new DME!

When I called the Dr's office to have them fax in my Rx to the other place I asked what I had to do to get a copy of both sleep studies, and my Rx? She got my permission over the phone, and said my wife could stop by today to pick them up ...