When does it become mine

11 Sept an RT from LINCARE deliver my S9 AutoSet. Since I'm on Medicare I had to use it an average of 4 hours a day in order to comply, which I did. LINCARE billed Medicare for the rental of the machine, When does the machine officially become mine. I've called Medicare customer service, asked around 6 people the same question, and received 6 different answers Those who are on Medicare, what say you?

Medicare is typically rent to own for 13 months with the first primary compliance requirement being at somewhere between the 30th and 90th day after the machine was dispensed. I have never seen Medicate documented compliance requirements (at the Medicare site) for the 1 year or 13 month thing. DMEs tell patients they have to see the doctor but I have yet to see it in writing at any official government site.
This is for total newbies to therapy. There may be exceptions or differences for veterans who are just getting a new or different machine from what they used in the past.....I don't know as that is not clearly spelled out.

There may be a few rare exceptions and those with Medicare Advantage plans may see something else.

So there...more multiple answers.
The majority of the time it is 13 months though.

Pugsy wrote:Medicare is typically rent to own for 13 months with the first primary compliance requirement being at somewhere between the 30th and 90th day after the machine was dispensed that is not clearly spelled out.

There may be a few rare exceptions and those with Medicare Advantage plans may see something else.

So there...more multiple answers.
The majority of the time it is 13 months though.

So what your saying basically, is it's LINCARE's property for the first 13 months

I am on Medicare Advantage and my machine is rent to own for 13 months. Medicare Advantage uses Medicare's rules.

library lady wrote:I am on Medicare Advantage and my machine is rent to own for 13 months. Medicare Advantage uses Medicare's rules.

Some use Medicare's rules and some Medicare Advantage plans don't. It all depends on who the insurance company is and what they want to offer. I have/had one MA plan that plainly stated it was a lifetime rent to own and I would never own the cpap machine. I don't remember if that is the current MA plan I use or if it was the last one before this one. Since it didn't pertain to my situation I didn't pay anymore attention other than think...."that sucks"

I have a MA plan and I can't get straight answers either. The consensus seems to be lifetime rent to own. At the renta l rate they are charging $392 per month, my ASV machine will be paid for handsomely every 10 months.
I am working on getting the insurance company to change that, but have net yet been able to breach the ivory tower to talk to someone with a brain instead of a rule book.

bwexler,
If those are your rules, the direct purchase saves you almost $800 the first year and almost $5,000 each year thereafter.

Dump your current machine, buy a new one, and tell the DME TO POUND SAND.

Reason I asked is that I turned in the machine 30 April as it wasn't giving me the therapy I needed. Have a copy of the receipt

I have a backup machine which is an S8 VPAP ST, but my centrals are causing it to not give me a comfortable nights sleep. I'm not terribly worried as LINCARE, as a whole, especially the local office manager, is crap, and I want them to lose the overprice rental fee. The sleep doctors they recommend and the equipment they issue are not what I need or want.

I have Medicare as my primary insurance, and Tricare For Life is secondary, as I retired military. Thankfully zero $ out of pocket. Not the best insurance, since I'm a breed the government needs to do its dirty work in countries they pick, but don't want to recognize medically. Medicare can either pay for what the doctor prescribes, or pay for the medical problems the rest of my natural life, should I not get the therapy I need. For those of us who remember the farm oil filer commercial - You can pay me now or pay me later.

I going back to the people that put me on the S8, have them make sure Medicare will pay for another sleep study and go from there. I will talk to them, bring my graphs, and see if the use of 02 makes the centrals go away.

Pat

JDS74 wrote:bwexler,
If those are your rules, the direct purchase saves you almost $800 the first year and almost $5,000 each year thereafter.

Dump your current machine, buy a new one, and tell the DME TO POUND SAND.

My MA plan is paying 100% of the $392 per month, zero copay.

I just don't like to see Crapria ripping of my insurance carier so they continue to cut back on other previously covered items.

A new ASV machine lists for about $3700 that is not a trivial expendature, especialy compared to a zero copay. I am looking forward to next year or the year after as O Care continues to erode MA coverage bit by bit.