[Equipment] Getting a different machine from my DME?

[cathyf]

To answer the original question -- this whole deal with the 13-month "rental" is a scam to spread your medical expense over two plan years so that the payments are split between two years of deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. They pretend that you are renting something that you are buying in order to get you to pay for more of it. And another part of the scam is pretending that all machines have the same value so that they can buy a cheaper machine and sell it to you and your insurance company at the more expensive price.

However, the one advantage is that you can say "if this is REALLY a rental, here take back this crappy machine and give me a better one" and they can't say "it's your machine you bought it."

[misq2kir]

We yelled and screamed so much about hubby's Dreamstation they did take it back but it was totally malfunctioning practically out of the box. His overheated, leaked, and we were just such pests that they finally said OK and replaced his. Don't remember how long it took to get it done but they weren't very helpful then but seem to have maybe improved now that they closed the "local" office and moved about an hour away. Only saving grace on his is that we moved from CA to CO, had same DME in both states and they can't seem to figure out (after almost 5 years) that we aren't paying for any of his supplies since they aren't billing us in CO. Tried to explain it and get the billing straightened out but no luck so no payment.

I understand the "rental scam" but mine worked OK for a few years but now is malfunctioning and has taken probably 6 months to get them and the doctor to agree I need a new one.