Staying "active" with your DME

[Sleeprider]

I appreciate your advice, Mosquitobait. Thank you. I know what you wrote about a pt. being entitled to copies of his/her data, scripts, etc. is correct, but I suspect it's going to be a real battle to get same.

David

Read this and make your life easier: https://www.privacyrights.org/content/hi...py-records

Failure of a health care provider to provide a patient access to their health records and prescriptions is a Federal offense under HIPAA.

g. What should patients do when they have trouble accessing or obtaining a copy of their medical records?

We recommend to start a complaint process by first contacting the health care provider’s designated privacy of HIPAA compliance officer. Doing so documents the complaint, and also indicates that the individual has made a good faith effort to resolve the problem.

In addition, there are ten HHS/OCR Regional Offices located throughout the country with staff counselors available to answer patient questions.

If there are further problems or the provider ignores a complaint, the individual may want to proceed with an HHS complaint. Although government agencies cannot represent individuals, consumer complaints often alert agencies to HIPAA violations. HIPAA says people cannot be denied treatment because of a complaint.

HIPAA does not prevent states from passing laws that enhance protections. George Washington University also has a guide, Health Information and the Law, which includes information on state laws.

[Dawei]

Sleeprider, the info you supplied certainly does allow me to breath deeply. Many thanks. I had been aware of HIPAA but didn't know it covers pt. rights to med records as well as privacy (I'm feeling dumb).
My guess is that you MUST be retired from the field of healthcare to be so knowledgeable. Perhaps you used to make those Respironics in Pittsburgh.

David

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Forgot the "e" at the end of breathe.

[Sleeprider]

Although I live in Murrysville, I have no medical expertise or inside knowledge of PAP equipment. I retired from air quality regulatory permitting, engineering and toxicology. I have some sensitivity to the medical profession and it's changes since my dad was an old fashioned pediatrician before medicine was owned by insurance companies and socialized. Oddly, everyone got affordable care somehow.

[Dawei]

Just re-read the exchange of postings from a year ago and again would like to thank those who offered their insights.
Right now, I am really missing my former DME and sleep doc, since having moved from NC to FL. The DME up there was a hospital oriented, non-profit, and the group of sleep docs staffed the hospital sleep center.
Down here, it seems to be none of the above. I'm on a Medicare Advantage plan, and the insurer's list of 191 DMEs in their network in my area contains only two that deal in CPAP machines and supplies (yes, I went through the entire list). Both are large, nationwide firms with lots of negative reviews, primarily for sending you all sorts of supplies you didn't order and don't need (and of course charging you) along with terrible customer service.
On the positive side, when I left NC, the sleep center did, in fact, give me my full sleep study data (raw and summary), script, and annual office visit notes.
Also on the plus side, my new primary care did write an APAP script for me. I asked her for this after hearing that DMEs around here apparently want a script that is no older than 3 months. (I also have a script from NC but it's older than that).
I'm not aware of a solution to my DME situation, but sharing it feels therapeutic. So, thanks for reading.

[Sleeprider]

Nice to see you back after almost 2-years. I am still capable of not seeing something I am looking at, provided my wife has dispatched me to find it. Hope all is well with you and yours, and don't be a stranger.

Merry Christmas.