Doctor Requirements?

[Hydrangea]

What sort of doctor is required to get supplies for my sleep apnea?

I started in one state.  My cardiologist recommended a sleep dr, I went to the sleep dr and got the sleep test and CPAP supplies, and was on my merry way.  My sleep dr was the one "overseeing" me.

I moved to a different state.  The DMEs here want an Rx from a dr in this state.  So I went to my normal dr (PCM), discussed my sleep stuff, showed him my Rxs and sleep study etc., and he wrote an Rx for CPAP supplies. 

I took that to a DME, and they said they had to talk to my insurance and would get back to me. 

Now I get a phone call from my dr's office (secretary) who said I need to be referred to an ENT regarding this. 

That secretary is a real pain to talk with, so I tried but didn't get far, and decided to just ask here.

Would a DME require me to go to a ENT for them to honor an Rx for supplies?  Do you think my dr/dr's office is wanting to scoot out of that responsibility and pass the buck to a different dr?  I guess I have SO much jadedness concerning doctors that my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd thought are NOT that simply my dr might just want me to have other resources and might just be suggesting an ENT as another resource, but is not trying to get in the way of his original Rx of CPAP supplies.

What do you say?  Have you heard of DMEs being picky about what sort of dr they accept an Rx from?

I am SO sick of the rigamarole that DMEs put me through.  My insurance is AWESOME and PAYS FOR EVERYTHING... and EVEN YET I find myself buying everything on Amazon out of pocket.  This is SUCH A *%Q$#@$#% PAIN!

[Gideon]

There recently was another similar thread about the Dr. needing to be from the DME's state. 

I recently asked my GP if she would handle mt CPAP maintenance and she said no. That she did not practice sleep medicine and could not answer questions from medicare about it because it could cost her her license.

Bummer,  I will now need another unnecessary Dr Appointment to get supplies.

[Walla Walla]

Go ask your dentist if he'll write you a prescription.

[OpalRose]

What sort of doctor is required to get supplies for my sleep apnea?
Would a DME require me to go to a ENT for them to honor an Rx for supplies? 

I can see a DME wanting a script to come from a doctor in the same state in which you live, but don’t see that they can dictate what type doctor your script comes from. It shouldn’t matter to them as long as the doctor is willing.

I had the same issue as bonjour. My family doctor would not write me a script for supplies as he said he knows very little about sleep apnea and wouldn’t be able to justify it to insurance.

[Mosquitobait]

There are always more hoops to jump when you want someone else to pay for stuff and often time, the hoops cost more money. Many states accept a valid prescription from a doctor in another state except for controlled substances. Yours might not. You could google it, but the reality is that a DME who has been audited isn't going to do it all for a patient. None of the online stores appear to require a prescription from the state where they are, so you can still get supplies - you just have to pay for them, but they keep supplying no matter the date on your prescription.

My only suggestion is to contact your insurance company and find out what their rules are. If that doesn't work, ask your insurance company if you can apply for direct reimbursement, buying your supplies from an online retailer and then providing them the receipt for reimbursement.

[PaulaO2]

My GP writes my scripts. She has no problem with it.

Saying that you can only go to a sleep doc for CPAP stuff is like saying you can only buy your insulin, metformin, or actos with a script from an endocrinologist. Or blood pressure med with a script from a cardiologist.

[Sleeprider]

My primary doctor handles all scripts, and maintains a record of my use by asking about how it's going at an annual exam. He is an internal medicine guy and respects my ability to manage this aspect of my care. If we ever needed to do a test, the medical group operates a sleep clinic and has a specialist, but I have not seen one in over 10 years.