Your experience with Lincare Healthcare?

[Erin_Belli]

I am considering investing in Lincare Healthcare (ticker symbol=LNCR), which is, among things, a DME provider of CPAP. Has anyone had any experiences with Lincare---positive or negative? I would not want to invest in them if they treat CPAP patients poorly.

[Goofproof]

In that case you don't want to invest in any DME. Jim

[oldvaham]

I had great experience at my local LinCare office. Very helpful, even provided a card reader and an older version of the ResMed software. The only "problem" part was the resupply - I kept getting a new hose every month and the wrong size mask inserts. Only after my third visit to return the hose and inserts was the schedule changed to fit my needs. But, other than than, they were one great office.

That's my experience and I'm sticking to it.

Ken

[DrowzyDave]

It depends on what your objective is.

If you are investing, I assume your goal is to receive a return on your investment. In that case you want a company that is profit motivated. In my experience, Lincare is profit motivated. My RT suggested that the Resmed Adapt SV machine might work better for me than the VPAP III ST that I am currently on for treating central apneas. Her area manager overruled her and instructed her to NEVER mention the Adapt SV to patients because it is billed with the same code as a bilevel machine and they lose money on them.

Lincare tried to put me on supplemental O2 after an overnight oximetry study showed a two hour block of time at 88%. I told them that there was a time when the sensor was really pinching my finger so I moved it down and went back to sleep. They said that shouldn't make any difference and wanted to know when they could come set up the O2. I explained this to my doctor who ordered another oximetry study which showed O2 levels in the 90s 90% of the time. My doctor said it is a good thing I questioned the suspicious results or I would be on oxygen right now. I haven't heard from the RT since she came to pick up the oximeter over a month ago. They make good money on O2 sales so that's why they were quick to push it.

I would agree with Goofproof. If you don't want to invest in a company that treats CPAP patients poorly, don't invest in any DME.

Healthcare is a tricky business. Usually profit and patient care are inversely related. When profits go up, patient care goes down. Or irresponsible insurance billing goes up. Some companies may try to strike a reasonable balance between profit and patient care, but from what I read on the boards, this is usually not the case with a DME.

Dave

[john44077]

I was very happy with Lincare when i switched to them last week. Very nice local office.

[arthuranxious]

I have not used them but my sleep doc and his wife/nurse recommend them highly as the best DME in our area! They don't deliver to the city I live in so I had no chance to prove her right or wrong.

[JeffH]

I've bought supplies from the one that is in the nearest larger town. (this was before I found cpap.com) paid about $30 for $17 nasal pillows from them.

I will say that they have been helpful to me on more than one occasion though.



JeffH

[Goofproof]

I started with O2 from them, and soon after XPAP, Never seen them much the first year, had a few wrong visits from them about the removal of O2 equiptment, Now after over a year they have started calling up to pump me for XPAP suppiles, (trying to Max the profits), I have ordered supplies from them three times now. Not one order was delivered correct, now I just think of it as a xmas present, and am supprised and greatful I got something, if it was my cash and not the INS, I'd take a gun down there and straighten it out. Jim

It's like their right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, and their management doesn't know if they have any hands at all.

They have had way too many Box Cutter accidents, they probably cut their hands off. I've never got a sealed product from them, always something missing.

[Nazareth]

I hate to speak ill of a business, but there just coems a time when enough is enough:

My experience isn't very good with them so far. They delayed getting my machine for over 6 months because they wanted Medicare to give approval for hte machine before they submitted the bill to Medicare- Well, like a dummy, I assumed Medicare had ot pre-approve it, or to give the Doctor a 'Variance' before they would approve paying for it, and I didn't check up on it for about 5 months- then I started calling because still no machine. Lo and behold- Medicare does Not issue prior approval, or issue Variances- When I told htem that the provider told me a viariance was needed, they couldn't believe it-

Then- I finally get the machine, and it's not hte one the Doctor ordered, but Lincare Therapist told me it was the same machine- The perscription was for a Synchrony Bipap S/T and Lincare gave me a Bipap S/T claiming it was the exact same technology. I asked Cpap.com if they were the same machine, and they said "nope- different technologies." Also, My face mask that Lincare gave me with hte machine is really giving me fits, and I asked Lincare to order me an Oracle oral mask, because that is what I was Titrated on and did well with. It's been 12 days now, and I called today, and asked if they got hte mask in yet (because I was told they had to order it) and the Therapist said "No, but the request is on the clipboard in my Boss' office- I'll get hte ball rolling- We have to see if we can get it because We've never ordered one before" HUH???!!!

Oh, and this particular Lincare has been operating for many many years, and I was told when I called to see how the machine order was going, and found out there was yet another 'snag' in the process of getting the machine- "We've never set anyone up with a Bipap S/T- it's a very elite machine, and it's just not common to see them."

This shoiuldn't reflect on Lincare itself, as the Therapist I got doeasn't personally seem to be too up on Sleep Apnea and fixing folks up with the right technology, (Even htough she told me they are currently 'helping' 1200 patients with Apnea) and this particular chop was in this run down warehouse and evereyhting was like scattered all over the warehouse- they just didn't seem very organized and profeessional at all.
I'd heard good htings abotu Lincare, so I chose them based on what I'd been hearing as my DME, but I am sorry I did now. I had two other choices, and probably should have investigated it more before making a descision on a DME.

I will say htough that Lincare has said they will give me new masks until I get one that works right without needing a Doctor's perscription for Medicare- and hte masks will be no charge apparently, but The Therapist is so far not being very helpful getting the Oracle Mask for me yet as mentioned above.

[Erin_Belli]

In that case you don't want to invest in any DME. Jim

I thank you for all your responses. I guess goofproof's line was the best and most convincing. As I reflect on the whole DME/CPAP mess it occurs to me that most CPAP patients can handle their own treatment and equipment purchases without the help of a DME, if only their insurance would help them with the costs. Maybe one day the insurance companies will figure this out, and then down will go the profits of the DMEs. So, just in case that happens, I will not be investing in Lincare.

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): DME

[Goofproof]

Invest in Funeral Homes, they have the lock, none of us are going to get out alive. Jim

[KansasRT]

Medicare's (and most insurance companies) requirements to cover a BiPaP of any kind are very strict. You have to make sure that you get your ducks in a row before giving the equipment out, or you get stuck giving it away for free. I have worked at my current job for a year and a half and have only had two patients that qualified for BiPaP. So it is really unusual.
My gripe for all the DME manufacturers is that all the new technology coming out in BiPaP, like the respironics auto SV and the resmed adapt SV are "sold" or marketed to the Sleep Labs. When it is the DME company that has to get the equipment for the patient. Repironics just came out with the Bipap auto SV and it wasn't on their website yet and I had a sleep lab order the equipment for a patient. I new nothing about the equipment, because the sales reps don't make their way around DME companies. I have to say that I spend alot of time on this site and others and am very forward thinking on sleep apnea treatment and such. But how am I supposed to keep up on new equipment that is not on the website and I am not given any information on. I told the respironics salesman that I guess I will have to call the company to see if they have any new products once a week. I found resmeds new masks on the website two months before the sales rep came in to let us know that they had new masks out. I told him that I didn't need him to tell me about the masks because I had already read reviews on them. So, I can't explain why a therapist wouldn't know about older masks and equipment, but the newer stuff is not brought to our attention very quickly. Sometime you can't even find out about it on the website. (Note: I am not making excuses for lousy DME RT's who have ancient ideas about sleep apnea treatment and don't want their patients to be educated at all, only explaining why a DME may not know about the newest product right away.)

[Goofproof]

One thing about Lincare, they have a policy you can count on once you learn it. Take what we give you and be happy.

This morning I got my order, well almost. I ordered a 10 foot hose and two white remstar filters, I got the Hose only, but it was unopened and the shipped it in a Remstar APAP Box, I saw it sitting at the frond door and did backflips, until I picked up the light weight box. That would have been a glorious mistake for them to make.

As it was my xmas present was short the filters. No suprise to me, they have trained me well. Jim

[cflame1]

When I started... I was dealing with Lincare... at first the RT was helpful, then he started trying to pawn me off on a different RT that was patronizing... felt like he was telling me to take what he said and everything would be fine (even though it wasn't).

Now when I need to deal with a DME, I deal with a local Mom and Pop shop here. So far they've been great, but I think that I've dealt with them twice.

[Oh_2get_some_sleep]

Maybe I'm too new to the CPAP game to be jaded, but my experience with Lincare was excellent. I went there, got my machine, the RT did a great job of explaining and taking time with me, programmed the machine to give me all the user readout options just like i asked.

I'll be going back soon i think to try a different mask, and i hope to get the same great service and individual attention. There were many closer DMEs, but my sleep doc said they were the best in the area.

Hope that helps.