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DME RANT !
#1
DME RANT !
I'm not sure about naming the supplier so I won't for now

Are all of them money grubbing leech's ??? I cannot stand pushy salesman , Male or Female . Every 3 weeks the calls start . We need to send you a new cushion or the hose needs to be replaced .

Do you really need a new cushion every 30 days ?? new hose every 3 months ?? last one was " I see your due for a new mask " Grrrr . I asked why ? I got because they can warp a bit and leak and the insurance company will allow it at this time .

The best part is the robo calls . Phone rings , I say hello . I hear the automated voice say .... The is Blaa Blaaa company .You are an important customer , Please hold for the next available operator ...AAAAHHHHHH.
Im so important that a live body can't Call ?????????????

Soooo The 1st couple of times I said ok . But the new cushions didn't help or do any better . Please tell me if I'm looking at this wrong .
Heavy Equipment Relocation Specialist
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#2
RE: DME RANT !!!!!!
When I get a robocall, I actually do wait until a live person comes on the line.

Then I hang up.
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#3
RE: DME RANT !
Most insurance companies in the US follow the medicare guidelines which call for new nasal pillows every 2-3 weeks; filters, a new hose, and a new mask every 3 months; a new water tank and chin strap every 6 months.

Your insurance company pays for these, but you may have a small co-pay. I make sure I get these supplies on schedule and save them up for a rainy day. Remember the Boy Scout motto? Be prepared.

I like having extra supplies so I can rotate them out on a cleaning schedule. I also plan to buy a second home some day soon and will need another machine and the extra supplies so that I don't have to cart stuff back and forth between the two homes.

Right now I've got my eye on a used PRS1 Model 550 APAP from Supplier #2. Very affordable.
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: DME RANT !
(08-05-2013, 07:20 PM)Sleepster Wrote: Remember the Boy Scout motto? Be prepared.

That is a good thing to remember but I already have spares still in the plastic ...If It Ain't Broke , Don't Fix It .. LOL Big Grin

Dad always told me that one . Trouble is , who had the job of spreading all the information about when to replace or why even ?

Doc didn't say , DME didn't say . Just pushy sales people over the phone and I simply don't trust those people
Heavy Equipment Relocation Specialist
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#5
RE: DME RANT !
(08-05-2013, 07:34 PM)Tiny Wrote: Trouble is , who had the job of spreading all the information about when to replace or why even ?

My guess is some legislative committee heavily influenced by lobbyists representing the interests of the equipment manufacturers and insurance companies.

Basically, whoever is big enough to afford lobbyists and is making a profit from the arrangement.

Quote:Doc didn't say , DME didn't say . Just pushy sales people over the phone and I simply don't trust those people

They probably don't know and don't care. They are so heavily regulated that they simply go with the flow and don't wonder why.

I don't trust them, either, but I'm not going to let that stop me from getting the most that I can out of the situation. That's the behavior we've been conditioned to exhibit.
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#6
RE: DME RANT !
Take all the spares your insurance will approve until you have a reasonable number of spares. Then get new ones as the old ones wear out.

2 of each items is great because you have a spare if it breaks. Also, you can wash one set, and set it aside for a week or so to dry out and air out while using the other set.

I'd get 3 of each if the cost isn't too high. Then you have a working pair and a spare.

Spare hoses, masks, headgear, water tanks, cushions, etc. are all good to have. You'll use them eventually.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
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#7
RE: DME RANT !
(08-11-2013, 06:26 PM)archangle Wrote: Take all the spares your insurance will approve until you have a reasonable number of spares.

I would agree with this completely. Stock up. I had good health insurance from my job and didn't bother to "stock up" when I was allowed to, thinking "yeah, I can always get another mask or tube or filter when I really need it". Then I got laid off and lost my health insurance. Wished then I had taken every opportunity to get the allowable replacement supplies when I had the insurance.

You never know what can happen - loss of a job, or health insurance policy changes, etc. Get them while you can.

Cool
SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.


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#8
RE: DME RANT !
(08-11-2013, 10:57 PM)SuperSleeper Wrote: You never know what can happen - loss of a job, or health insurance policy changes, etc. Get them while you can.

That's my policy!

I predict that insurance companies will be reducing the frequency of supplies. Mine used to give me a new pillow every two weeks, then every three weeks, and now it's every four weeks.

Hoses and masks are replaced every 3 months right now.

Water tank and chin strap are replaced every 6 months right now.

I have a stock pile of masks, hoses, pillows, filters, and water tanks.

Unwanted extras can always be donated to Supplier #2 so those without insurance can get them.
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#9
RE: DME RANT !
(08-05-2013, 06:10 PM)Tiny Wrote: ... Are all of them money grubbing leech's ??? I cannot stand pushy salesman ...
Testify, brother! :grin:
[Image: dreamdiver-signature-gif.gif]
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#10
RE: DME RANT !
I've been scared to set up a replacement schedule with a local DME using my insurance because of these aggressive replacement policies. My worst-case out of pocket cost in a given year (if I don't use my deductible for other things) could be $500 + 20% thereafter. DMEs charge the maximum allowed under the HCPCS codes, so I'd be paying on significantly marked up prices compared to online prices. I was thinking that if I managed my own replacements using online suppliers, I could manage the cost and keep it considerably lower. For example, I can probably get by with 2 masks a year instead of 4 or more. Maybe all I need is 1 hose and 1 tub a year.

Is it worth paying so much for CPAP supplies just to fill out my yearly deductible? I bet if I were older the answer would be undoubtedly yes, but my chances of needing expensive medical services in a given year are currently lower.

I'm not sure I am making the right decision. Would appreciate some sense slapped into me! Having spare parts would be GREAT, but not if it would cost me a bundle.
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