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+--- Thread: Find a Good Medical Supplier (/Thread-Find-a-Good-Medical-Supplier)
Find a Good Medical Supplier - Zeeez - 02-27-2016
After spending three years with a Resmed S9 and having positive but luke warm results, I decided it was time for a change. Initially, when the S9 was delivered and set up everything seemed well enough. The nurse came to my house, set up the machine and asked about what type of mask would be good for me. Deciding that it would be a full face mask she went to the trunk of her car and came back with a Resmed Quatro FX in large. She said this was the only one she had and hoped it would be good. While fitting the mask she told me how lucky I was that this was a good fit. The reality was that it was not the best fit. It slid up towards my eyes, sometimes causing problems and it leaked allot. Attempting to resolve the leaks the straps were tightened to the point where mask lines remained for half the day. Further to disappoint, there was one follow up phone call a week after delivery and that was the last I heard from the supplier. When I needed the card read annually for the FAA they made it seem like a big inconvenience and that they were doing a big favor.
Well those days are over. We changed out health insurance to Blue Cross which meant that I could get a brand new CPAP machine. The rule is generally that insurance companies will replace the machine every five years, but if you go to a new insurance company you get to start over on the schedule. I did my homework and decided that a Phillips Resperonics Dream Station was the machine for me. To make sure that everything was right this time the choice would be for a new medical supplier as well. Searching for a new medical supplier it became quickly apparent that my first experience was in fact a wham bam sales deal with a pretty good machine, a poor fitting mask and no follow up or support. One of the new supplier candidates told me that the Dream Station was junk and that they had several come back. It turned out that they never even carried the DS. Another supplier told me that the Dream Station was a wonderful machine, the best they had seen. Once they got my prescription,sleep study and insurance paperwork the sales person told me that Blue Cross would only pay to have my S9 serviced and updated. Pure monkey business. My wife, an RN, brought me up to speed telling that these are for the most part are sales people working on commission and they might do what’s best or most convenient for them and not me. How naive was I?
Finally I found the Holy Grail of medical suppliers. They were very nice and professional on the phone. They took care of the several prompts to my doctors office to get the paperwork faxed instead of putting me in the middle and saying we didn’t get the fax. Going to the new supplier, their building was clean, well organized and professional. After seeing my new machine which was already set up and getting the grand tour, it was mask time. They had a wall with all the masks from all the companies. We narrowed it down to three masks and couldn’t decide if it would be a medium or a large. The tech brought in six unopened bags with new masks and we took our time trying each of them on my machine. How cool was that? When I asked, “are you sure?”, she said “yes this is the way we do it.”. I decided on a Resmed AirFit F10 mask. Wow, Is this nice. It’s super light with the gel fused to the mask. Nome leaks or gels falling out in the middle of the night. What a PITA that was. The formed head band is a superior design and there is no hurricane wind blowing out the front to bother my wife. Next she gave me the supply update schedule and my copays. For someone who had previously scrounged supplies on eBay it seemed that I had found the promised land.
RE: Find a Good Medical Supplier - OpalRose - 02-27-2016
Welcome to the forum Zeeez,
Glad you had a good experience with your supplier, as thats usually not the norm.
Feel free to jump in and ask questions if you need help or advice.
RE: Find a Good Medical Supplier - Zeeez - 02-27-2016
Hi OR
Thanks
RE: Find a Good Medical Supplier - Sleeprider - 02-27-2016
Glad you found a competent and service oriented DME supplier. I was at REMworks here in the Pittsburgh area this week and also got a new machine and found a good service oriented provider. Who is your new DME (it's okay to name but not to link).
RE: Find a Good Medical Supplier - Mosquitobait - 02-27-2016
Zeeez, I am envious. Unfortunately, I'm in a Medicare bid area and none of the available DMEs are as good as your final choice, but at least Lincare (local office) isn't as bad as your worst.