Need some advice about DME situation.
I bought some supplies at a DME today but they initailly thought I was there to buy a new machine. I told them that I had already bought a machine on Craigslist and I just wanted a new mask and hose. They got me my stuff but just before I left the guy said to call him back and give him the serial number and DN # of the machine I bought so Blue Cross will pay them. I thought it was odd because I had bought a mask at another DME and they didn't ask for that info so am I being paranoid or is this DME trying to get the original buyer in trouble or get Resmed to send a signal to my machine to kill it so I have to get another machine. I know it sounds crazy but this DME seemed sketchy and angry that I didn't buy a new machine so I'm suspicious.
01-14-2020, 06:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2020, 06:43 PM by 70sSanO.)
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
I would not give him any information. Since you have no idea where the machine you bought came from, it will only open a can of worms. In his mind he may think you took money out of his pocket, even if you were never going to buy from him.
In hindsight you probably should not have told him you got a machine off Craigslist, but I wouldn’t worry about it. Just buy supplies as needed locally, or buy them from an online DME or eBay. Personally I wouldn’t go back to that DME.
John
01-14-2020, 06:44 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2020, 06:44 PM by Big Guy.)
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
It sounds as if you left with your supplies w/o having to pay for them? Is that correct? I can't imagine a DME supplier doing that.
Not too long ago, my prescription for my machine and equipment supposedly expired. My DME supplier called to notify me that they were going to come out and take back the machine and all of it's gear.
I told them that I had just seen my sleep doc and he renewed my script since I was now on Medicare. Evidently, the doctor's office hadn't yet faxed that new script to my DME supplier.
My DME supplier asked that I give them the serial # of my machine, as well as the DN #, whatever that is. I told them that I would be in town the next day and I would bring the machine in to them. That's what I did. They took note of both numbers and noted them on my patient file. I found that somewhat unusual, as it was them who I got the machine from in the first place.
Everything is now fine, and there wasn't any problems once my new Medicare script was issued. You might ask them why they need the information from a machine that wasn't purchased from them. It does sound a bit sketchy.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
I agree with John - something's fishy here. It could be a case of insurance fraud where the DME pretends to have sold you that machine and gets a reimbursement from the insurance company.
Walk away.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
(01-14-2020, 06:48 PM)DeepBreathing Wrote: I agree with John - something's fishy here. It could be a case of insurance fraud where the DME pretends to have sold you that machine and gets a reimbursement from the insurance company.
Walk away.
I was going to state this exactly. It smells of insurance fraud.
01-14-2020, 07:01 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-14-2020, 07:09 PM by 17WRX.)
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
(01-14-2020, 06:44 PM)Big Guy Wrote: It sounds as if you left with your supplies w/o having to pay for them? Is that correct? I can't imagine a DME supplier doing that.
No I paid the co pay for the supplies for my insurance plan. He said that he needed the serial # info so BCBS would pay him. But I definitely won't be going back there or give him any info. It's such a shame all of these DME are a lot like used car salesman. I read that Amazon was going to get into the medical equipment business. I hope they do as well as Costco and put all of these sketchy DME out of business.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
If insurance/medicare is paying for supplies then someone is certifying compliance. Hence the need for the serial number/device number so they can pull compliance data from resmed.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
My current ASV DME is Apria. To get compliance for supplies, they ask me on the phone if I've used it for 4 or more hours per night.
I'm of the opinion that your DME is acting like Ripoff Randy car sales. Something just sounds off like trying to charge you for spark plugs for your diesel pick-up truck or a custom performance exhaust on your EV.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
(01-14-2020, 07:42 PM)harrywr2 Wrote: If insurance/medicare is paying for supplies then someone is certifying compliance. Hence the need for the serial number/device number so they can pull compliance data from resmed.
Compliance that I am using the mask and air hose? Even if they knew my machine info, there is no way to know if I'm using that particular mask and air hose.
RE: Need some advice about DME situation.
"Compliance that I am using the mask and air hose?"
Kaiser Permanente asked me the same question even though I bought the machine myself.
If I want them to pay for the supplies(mask and air-hose) then the sleep center has to certify I am using a CPAP machine at least 4 hours per night.
The way they do that is look up the serial and device numbers in the Resmed database. Kaiser does their own certification in house, other insurance company's let the DME do the certification.
