AUTOMATIC 90 DAY RESUPPLY QUANDRY

My DME supplier advertises his expertise in resupplying cpap items automatically every 90 days. It is even a major part of his website advertising.
Yet every time, I have to call him after 120 days to ask where they are. I always get the same answer. "They are due to be shipped now, You should have them in about two days"
Considering he is reimbursed by insurance with little effort, i cannot understand the continual tardiness. Anyone else have the same problem?
Seems to me that if I have to call and wake him up every time, the automatic part of the program is totally useless!

How about...its a matter of he has the insurance money in hand prior to shipping. Nice deal if you can get away with it!
N

I'm new to this so my first 90 day shipment is next month.

Just from what you listed, if this has happened more than once i would contact your insurance company to see what other DMEs they work with in your area.

Treat it as if you are paying for the supplies and services.

Yes insurance is paying but you are influencing where they spend the money.

Good luck.

foxhunter wrote:...
Seems to me that if I have to call and wake him up every time, the automatic part of the program is totally useless!

mcdad wrote:...

Just from what you listed, if this has happened more than once i would contact your insurance company to see what other DMEs they work with in your area.

...

I agree, it's time to move on. Of course, you never know, just the threat of leaving might improve their service.

Given that some of us go considerably longer than 90 days without resup0ply and have no problems you might wonder whether you really need it. What problems have resulted from waiting 120 days?

Kevin G. wrote:Given that some of us go considerably longer than 90 days without resup0ply and have no problems you might wonder whether you really need it. What problems have resulted from waiting 120 days?

I expect some of the annoyance is that the DME provider built an expectation and is not fulfilling it.

Of course, with certain items like disposable filters, it can be a problem. I certainly would not want to wait 120 days to change mine.

If you are on Medicare this is why they cannot send you resupply automatically.

Suppliers should stay attuned to atypical utilization patterns of their clients. A beneficiary or their caregiver must specifically request refills of PAP accessories before they are dispensed. The supplier must not automatically dispense a quantity of supplies on a predetermined regular basis, even if the beneficiary has "authorized" this in advance. As referenced in the Program Integrity Manual (Internet-Only Manual, CMS Pub. 100-8, Chapter 4.26.1) "Contact with the beneficiary or designee regarding refills should take place no sooner than approximately 7 days prior to the delivery/shipping date. For subsequent deliveries of refills, the supplier should deliver the DMEPOS product no sooner than approximately 5 days prior to the end of usage for the current product."

akcpapguy wrote:If you are on Medicare this is why they cannot send you resupply automatically.

Suppliers should stay attuned to atypical utilization patterns of their clients. A beneficiary or their caregiver must specifically request refills of PAP accessories before they are dispensed. The supplier must not automatically dispense a quantity of supplies on a predetermined regular basis, even if the beneficiary has "authorized" this in advance. As referenced in the Program Integrity Manual (Internet-Only Manual, CMS Pub. 100-8, Chapter 4.26.1) "Contact with the beneficiary or designee regarding refills should take place no sooner than approximately 7 days prior to the delivery/shipping date. For subsequent deliveries of refills, the supplier should deliver the DMEPOS product no sooner than approximately 5 days prior to the end of usage for the current product."

Damn, I hope there are companies willing to call you every 90 days and ask if you want to authorize another!
The way my memory is going, by the time I'm on medicare, I'll never remember to replace a filter until it has turned a nice deep shade of green!

No Sure about other CPAP or APAP machines, but I have a feature on mine to set reminders about filters, hose, mask, tub, and two customized reminders.

Dig into your device and let your inner geek out.

I "WISH" I had insurance or the $$$, but no, I have to buy everything myself therefore, I stretch it out as long as possible. You guys with insurance can try new masks and stuff every 90 days....how lucky can you get. I haven't even had a "how are you doing" call from my DME and I have had my cpap since mid April.
I'll quit whining now or better still I'll have some cheese with my whine please
Cheers
Nan

Rogue Uvula wrote:Damn, I hope there are companies willing to call you every 90 days and ask if you want to authorize another!
The way my memory is going, by the time I'm on medicare, I'll never remember to replace a filter until it has turned a nice deep shade of green!

Linscare, calls me monthly at 7 P.M. it seems with a automated reorder dialer, telling me what I can get and asking me if I want it. Lately I have been telling them NO! It was that or build another room on the house, spares are one thing but overstocking is waste, in time things will go bad even packaged up.

They have figured yet another was to get the $$$. Jim

They are doing better now the stuff comes packaged for the most part, usually it's what you ordered, it used to be XMAS, when you opened the package you never new what to expect, but you could count on it being prior opened.

Rogue Uvula wrote:
Damn, I hope there are companies willing to call you every 90 days and ask if you want to authorize another!
The way my memory is going, by the time I'm on medicare, I'll never remember to replace a filter until it has turned a nice deep shade of green!

There is....http://www.americarecpap.com/ calls me every 90 days and ask what I need for the next 90 days. works very well and they stock 99% of the cpap equipment available in the US. They ship my order the same day to wherever we are going to be and I have it in 2-3 days.

Rogue Uvula wrote:Damn, I hope there are companies willing to call you every 90 days and ask if you want to authorize another!
The way my memory is going, by the time I'm on medicare, I'll never remember to replace a filter until it has turned a nice deep shade of green!

Wait, there's a filter?? In the machine??

foxhunter wrote: Anyone else have the same problem?

wow ..............my insc. put a $250 deductable/yr on my DME stuff.
No need to call for masks or filters.

I utilize the reminder feature on my machine to change the filter.

In the first year of my therapy,
I realized the importance of all the equipment,
the ineptitude of the DME,
what a rip off the insc. game is,
and utilized the auction to stock my own DME closet.

I depend on me.