CrohnieToo Wrote:Jeffy, online DME suppliers get their money up front before the item is even addressed for shipping.

Billing is one amount, allowed amount is another and paid is often two amounts: insurance payment and patient copay payment.

For instance: Medicare - Bi-level - 2008

DME Billed amount: $239.92 - Medicare Allowed amount: $218.11 - Medicare Paid amount: $174.49 - Patient CoPay amount: $43.62

That $239.92 is the DME provider's "pipe dream" - unless the buyer is uninsured and then Medicare's ruling does NOT ALLOW the provider to give the uninsured a break for less than Medicare's Allowed amount.

All I'm saying is that INSURANCES are the most to blame for the state of health care costs in this country than any other cause.